Beyond the Masquerade
by Caneeltje
Summary: AU. Booth and Brennan attend the same college where they meet at a masked ball. A magical night with life-altering consequences for both of them follows. Eventually, the masks will fall off and when they do... well, come on in and find out!
1. Chapter 1

Author Note:

"Dear readers, we've been very productive but haven't been posting a lot. We have good resolutions for this year, though, so here we are with a new story! This one's basically writing itself and we thought it would be a fitting fic to start with, since it contains many themes us Bones fans adore. We hope you'll enjoy this as much as we do. Thanks for reading!"

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Chapter 1

Booth had arrived late. He had spent several minutes in front of his mirror, looking at himself, trying to decide whether or not he would be going to the masked ball. It was such a cliché, but than again, almost everybody was going; he couldn't be the only one not there. So, he had decided to drag himself out of his dorm room, dressed in a pair of narrow-fitting black jeans, a black, silk shirt with the top buttons undone and a mask covering his eyes. Just like the rest of the outfit, his mask was black. He leaned against one of the pillars of the dance hall and let his gaze drift around the room. His eyes were drawn to an auburn-haired beauty in the corner of the room. Mesmerised by her presence, he uncrossed his arms and crossed the room, walking over to her.

This had been a bad idea. A really bad idea. She shouldn't have let Angela trick her into this. She'd been hard to resist with the costume and makeup and everything ready for the ball. But now, her friend from Arts was nowhere to be seen, and Brennan was feeling really awkward dressed as a 'fierce pirate chick' as Angela had described her. The high-heeled boots were hurting her feet, the blood-red top was too tight and too exposing, and the black and red mask was uncomfortable. The black skirt she could live with, but it was the only thing. Feeling miserable, she took the glass of champagne that was offered to her.

"Aye, captain," Booth spoke to her as he handed her a glass of champagne. She was gorgeous and yet she was all alone. Conclusion? She already had a boyfriend. "So," he smiled at her as he sipped his own glass of champagne. "What's his name?"

"Excuse me?" Brennan said, not having expected a conversation. She wanted to go back to her dorm.

"Your boyfriend," he clarified. "What's his name? I mean, you must have a boyfriend, you're the most beautiful creature in the room." He tapped her glass with his own and winked at her. "Too bad, though, 'cause I really," he leaned in towards her, "really want to dance with you."

"I don't have a boyfriend and I don't dance. I was just leaving, in fact," she told him.

Gently, he took the glass of champagne from her and put both glasses down on the table. "Nope, you can't leave without having had a dance. And I bet you haven't danced with anyone yet." When she didn't protest, he smiled at her. "Thought so. So, come on. One dance, Captain. What can it hurt?"

"Since when does Zorro dance with pirates?" Nevertheless, she followed him onto the dance floor without much enthusiasm, absolutely certain Angela would scold her for months to come for not taking this opportunity.

"Since pirates look like you. Beautiful, confident, breathtaking." Booth pulled her into his arms as a slow dance started and they swayed around the room, staying close to each other.

Brennan rolled her eyes at him. "Just so you know, I'm not sleeping with you if that's what you're after. I'm going home after this dance."

Booth simply smiled at her as they continued to sway. When the tempo changed, he didn't release her, he didn't speed up his pace. Instead, he simply held her gaze and continued to dance with her.

She was tired; it was already after her usual bedtime. The gentle rhythm of their dance almost lulled her to sleep. She just followed 'Zorro' across the dance floor. Angela had better be proud of her for once.

He felt her relax in his arms and he softly traced a line on her neck with the tip of his nose. "Don't fall asleep on me, Captain. The night is still young," he chuckled.

"Not for me. I have to study in the morning," she mumbled. He smelled nice. She'd never tell him, but he did. He was surprisingly chivalrous despite being so terribly cocky.

"You can sleep in the morning, study in the afternoon," he murmured back. "It's Saturday tomorrow, Captain. You can stay up past your bedtime." She had such a calming influence on him that he wasn't quite ready yet to let her go. They continued to dance slowly, tenderly even for the next half hour. However, this was no place to talk to her and act like a couple - which was giving him great satisfaction - so, he leaned back and cupped her cheek in his hand as he guided them into a corner of the room. "But, I can see that you don't usually do this." He smiled at her. "I don't either, I have to say. Maybe we can continue our party elsewhere?"

She huffed. "I don't know how much clearer I can be than this." She moved her head closer to his face to make sure he heard her. "I'm not going to sleep with you. The dancing was nice, but that's it." She did like dancing with him. A little bit too much, perhaps, because she felt certain hormones stir inside her.

"Who said anything about sleeping together?" He shook his head. "You made it clear. I was talking about some more dancing. But without the entire university as an audience."

She shouldn't be asking this, but she did. "What do you propose?"

"We could go to your dorm room, so that you can kick me out when you don't want to dance anymore." Booth gently kissed her temple. "What do you think, Captain? Is that an acceptable proposal?"

"I don't have a stereo," she replied. This was all wrong, but she couldn't resist it.

"That's perfect. We don't need music, listen..." He was quiet for a few minutes. "The music that is playing is fast and upbeat, but we are dancing slowly, to a very different beat."

"I prefer to go to your dorm instead," she blurted out. At least then she could leave at any moment she wanted and he wouldn't know where she lived.

"Okay," he stood back and took her hand in his. "I even have a stereo." He pulled her towards the exit, then stopped. "Do you have everything you need? Do you need to tell a friend where you're going?"

"Oh, yes. Angela. I have no clue where she is, though." Brennan glanced around but didn't spot her friend.

"What was she dressed like? I can help you look for her," he offered.

"Actually, let me just try to find her. I'll be back in a few minutes." She quickly slipped into the crowd and indeed found her friend. She was dancing with someone dressed as Einstein. When Brennan tapped her shoulder, Angela stopped dancing and focussed her attention on her friend. "Angela. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I think I'm going to this guy's dorm. He's dressed like Zorro and he says he just wants to dance. What should I do?"

"Have fun, Captain!" She grabbed Brennan by her shoulders and whispered in her ear. "And safe sex," she grinned. "Enjoy!" And with that she pushed her back into the crowd and turned back to Jack Hodgins, who was a Senior, working on achieving a PhD in Entomology.

Brennan blushed and walked back to Zorro. "I - uhm - I'm ready to go."

That was quick, but he wasn't going to complain. "Okay, let's go." He opened the door for her and followed her out. Once they were in the cool night air, he placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her to his dorm room, at the end of campus. He felt very lucky that he had a dorm room of his own. It was small, but clean.

Brennan hesitated before walking into his room, realising what she was doing and that it was potentially dangerous. "I don't know if this is a good idea. What if you lock me up, then rape and murder me?"

"We can still go to your dorm, if you'd be more comfortable there," he suggested. "I won't do anything you don't want me to do," he told her softly, but seriously.

"How do I know I can trust you?" If her dad ever found out about this, he'd kill her for sure. She was about to stop this craziness and leave.

"You don't," he whispered, as he leaned in and kissed her.

At that moment, the moment his lips boldly touched hers, her thoughts were erased and her brain fell silent. She found her body responding, kissing him back.

He moved them over the threshold. Kicking the door shut behind him, he wrapped his arms around her as he deepened their kiss.

Her arms went around his neck as she kissed him back. A fire had been lit up inside of her, and she couldn't think about anything other than this man. For some reason she trusted him, was attracted to him even. She hadn't even seen his face. It was crazy, but here she was.

Booth held her closely to him, feeling her curves pressed up against him, his body stirring at her intoxicating proximity. Booth bent through his knees and swept her off of her feet, carrying her to his bed.

She hardly had any rational thought left. He inspired something in her that no one ever managed to awaken before; she was acting straight on emotions. She pressed herself against him, wanting to taste him, feel him, feel him feel her...

He laid her down on the bed and stretched his body out over hers. His hands rested on her hips as he pressed soft, open mouthed kisses to the side of her neck.

They hadn't even had time to turn on the lights. It was very dark in the room so they did everything by touch. She pulled the mask off her face and discarded it. Her hips pushed into his. She'd never felt this aroused before in her life.

He had noticed that she had taken her mask off. He reached for it and once his fingers closed around it, he gently put it back on. When she opened her mouth, he kissed her deeply. As they parted for air, he shook his head. "Leave it on." He smirked, "Take the rest off."

"It's uncomfortable," she protested breathlessly, pushing his hand away.

"I'll distract you, real quick." Booth kissed her again and sat up. He pulled the silk shirt off and took his shoes off. He started unbuttoning his jeans and smiled at her. "Do you want me to give you a hand with that?"

"Yes," she said, holding her breath. This brief break from their exertions gave her a short time to think things through, and she realised she was doing everything she promised herself she wouldn't.

He offered her his hand and when she took it, he helped her sit up, removed her top, he unzipped her skirt and pulled it down her long, slender legs. Her boots were the next things to go and when she was only dressed in her underwear, he pulled his jeans off and went to sit in between her slightly spread legs. He reached behind her and unclasped her bra. It was still relatively dark in his bedroom and when he leaned in and closed his lips around her nipple, the gasp he heard was music to his ears.

She'd never allowed anyone to touch her this intimately. She focussed on how good it felt and let the guilty pleasure overwhelm her. She should be scared, and she was, but not scared enough to stop him.

His hands caressed her back and when they rested on the waistband of her panties, he leaned forward, guiding her down to the bed. Booth continued to explore her nipple with his lips and tongue as he lifted her bottom, removing her panties. When she was naked, except for the mask, he pulled his boxers off. "Birth control?" he whispered into her ear as he positioned himself between her legs, his lips brushing lightly over hers.

Yes! her brain shouted at her. "Yes, of course," she panted. Was he stupid? Of course she wanted to use birth control.

Well that was one less issue. He placed one hand on her tummy and when he felt her tremble beneath him, he looked up into her eyes as his fingers slipped lower, dipping between her folds, caressing her intimately. "Tell me something, Captain. Will I be your first?" he teased her, slipping his fingertip inside of her body.

"Yes, actually," she said, blushing deeply, then gasping as his fingers entered her fully. "Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters," he stated softly. "Your body hasn't done this before. It might hurt a bit at first, but," he kissed her deeply as he slipped two fingers inside. "It'll be worth it."

She never thought she would, but she nodded. Did this make her a slut? She didn't know this man. She felt his fingers stretch her, felt her natural lubricant flow. She'd fantasized about this, and she wanted it. "Be gentle," was all she told him to do. God, he made her body feel good.

"I will," he promised her. He removed his fingers from within her body. "I'll be right back," he told her. He disappeared into the bathroom for a moment and grabbed his bottle of lube, then he returned to his bedroom. He joined her on the bed and poured some lube on his hand. He stroked himself, spreading the liquid over himself, then he guided himself inside of her body, inch by inch.

She assumed he'd put on the condom, but before she could make sure, he was pressing into her. Though it was indeed a bit painful, she felt her body yield inch by inch, taking him in. She winced as he tore her hymen, and it flooded her with emotions, like nothing would ever be the same again. She grabbed his face to kiss him.

His fingers tangled in her hair as she kissed him. He couldn't fight his instincts and Booth rocked his hips into hers, setting a fast, demanding rhythm. His steady breathing turned into deep moans and harsh panting as they danced around each other, guiding each other closer and closer to that blissful abyss with each thrust and swirl of their hips.

His scent was intoxicating, and because he didn't know anything about her, she was able to give herself wholly to him. To hand herself over to her instincts, to pleasure, and to orgasm. It was by far the most powerful one she'd ever had, and she gladly let him ride it out after he'd emptied inside her.

Her back arched when her orgasm washed over her and Booth sneaked his arms around her waist, clutching her to him as he rode out his own pleasure. They fell next to each other panting, the sound of heaving breaths filling the room. He rolled her onto her side, spooned her from behind and reached for the blanket. "Sleep, Captain," he kissed her shoulder. "You must be exhausted. I know I am."

"That was very pleasurable," she mumbled. She still hadn't got to know him better, but his arms around her felt good. It felt safe.

"That was the idea," he caressed her tummy with his fingertips."Sleep, baby."

"I'm not your baby," she protested, and at the same time felt her skin tingle where he touched her.

His fingers continued to dance over her soft skin, making a path from her tummy down to her thighs, back up to her breasts, caressing her body respectfully with light touches. "Tonight, you are."

Any other day, that comment would have made her angry, but not tonight. "I think you've ruined my study day," she whispered as her eyes were already falling closed.

"There is always the afternoon," he murmured, "besides, look at it this way, I gave you a very pleasurable evening."

"I'm fairly certain my professor won't think of that as an acceptable alternative to studying."

"Even your professor knows that if you work hard, you play hard. Now that we've played," he teased, "it's time to rest." Booth entangled his legs with hers and cupped her breast lightly in his palm. "Good night, Captain."

"Night," she whispered as sleep finally won and pulled her under.

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"So, how did you like it? Next time, we'll start layering this story. There will be many interesting developments, and we hope you'll stay on board for them. Updates will be regular, no hiatus, so don't be afraid to get into this fic! We'd love to hear what you think and let's meet again for the next chapter!"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for staying with us and for your wonderful words! Here's the next chapter, we really hope to keep surprising you with this fic. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 2**

"Seel? Hey, brother," Jared quietly greeted Booth. "Look, Pops... he's not doing too well. Something with bleeding in his brain. At this moment, he can't even talk." Jared grabbed his brother's arm and guided him to their grandfather's hospital room.

The fact that his brother had dropped everything to be in the hospital for their grandfather was telling to Booth. Jared and he didn't always see eye to eye on everything, but they both adored their grandfather. This morning, he had been awoken by the sound of his door closing. It had taken him just a few seconds to realise that his heavenly Captain was leaving and he had been in the process of throwing clothes on when he had received a phone call. From his brother. And that had made his stomach clench, because apart from birthdays and holidays, his brother never bothered calling him. So he'd answered. Jared told him that their Pops was in the hospital, that it was serious and that he didn't even know if Pops would make it. So Booth had got into his car and left. Jared had sounded frantic on the phone and even now, had seemingly not calmed down yet. "What happened, Jared?" he asked his younger brother, who guided him to their grandfather's room.

Jared stopped him in front of the door. "There's a lot of tubes, just to let you know. Scared the shit out of me when I saw him like that. He has his entire head wrapped. His neighbour heard something and called me when Pops didn't open. I found him there, God..." Jared had to take a deep breath. "He may have had some sort of brain bleeding when he was in the process of moving a vase upstairs. He was lying at the bottom of the stairs between broken ceramic." Jared suddenly stopped talking and turned his head away to blink back tears. Eventually, he cleared his throat. "Let's go inside."

Booth squeezed his brother's shoulder and waited until he looked him in the eye. "You did good, Jared." He pulled his little brother into a tight hug and released him. "Come on."

Jared went inside behind his older brother. Both took one of their grandfather's hands. "Hi, Pops. I brought your other grandson. Seel's here."

"Has he been awake yet?" Booth asked Jared when Pops didn't respond to their presence.

"For a short moment. He tried to speak but nothing really came out."

Booth nodded. Then looked up at his brother. "How long have you been here with him? When did it happen?" If Jared hadn't slept, he should go home and rest.

"He was in surgery when I called you, so that's how long I've been here. I have no clue about how many hours."

"It's almost 4PM now and you called me around 9AM. Did you have breakfast? Lunch?"

Jared shook his head. "Don't ask me anything about me. I've been focussed on Pops and him alone. I can't even remember what I had for dinner yesterday."

"Okay," Booth sighed and grabbed a chair, pulling it closer, so he could sit down. "Have you seen a doctor yet?"

"Just the surgeon so far. They told me to alert the nurses if he wakes up." Jared sat down, too, and for a few moments, they were both quiet. "So, ehm, you didn't have any finals or anything, right?"

"Jared, please, it doesn't matter. Pops is infinitely more important than any exams or finals." But he still couldn't suppress the memories from last night, as well as the plans he'd had for today. He pushed it aside though. Pops was more important than his one-night-stand, a gorgeous, mysterious, perfect one, but still, just a stranger if you thought about it.

Jared nodded. "Right. I ehm, I have a job. I was offered a promotion two days ago. They think I'm good at this thing."

Booth's gaze narrowed as he looked at his brother thoughtfully. "You are. Better than I am at this college thing. Where is this job?" Booth kept his voice neutral, but he knew what was coming. And he couldn't blame his brother. For the last few years, he had been the one looking out for their grandfather. If he had a new job and couldn't continue doing this, he wouldn't begrudge him his success.

"Where I live. Four hours from here," Jared answered his brother's question. He looked at Seeley and saw resignation. They both knew what was coming.

"You should take the job," Booth told his brother. "I can move in with Pops and stay with him as he recovers."

"What about your studies?" Jared asked him.

"They can wait, Jared. Besides, I wasn't cut out to sit in class all day. I'm of better use here. You should take the job. Really. I don't mind."

"Thanks, brother. I really appreciate this. I'll stay here until we know more about Pops."

"Sure." Booth folded his hands in prayer, Pops' hand still in between his as both brothers waited anxiously for their grandfater to wake up.

Eventually, Pops slowly opened his eyes. He heard beeps and as he tried to move his fingers, found resistance. Suddenly, there were his grandsons within his line of vision. He did his best to smile. "Good... see you..." he mumbled.

"Yeah, Pops," Booth fought back tears. His heart was beating wildly inside his chest. His Pops was awake! "It's good to see you too. Are you in pain?"

It took him a little while to gather the energy to speak again. "N-no, son."

"Jared would you mind?" Booth's gaze rested on the door for a moment and his younger brother nodded and went to alert the nurses. "You really scared us this time, Pops."

"Sorry..." Pops managed to give his grandson's hand a squeeze.

"It's okay, Pops. God knows you didn't want this to happen. You'll be okay, though. I'll make sure of it."

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A/N: Thanks for reading and commenting, the next chapter will be up within a week ;).


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: And we're back! Please enjoy this next chapter, there will be more later this week.

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**Chapter 3**

Brennan had set her alarm, even though she knew she wouldn't be fit in the morning. She hadn't been for three days in a row. She felt sick and could barely keep anything down. There was no fever, just vomitting. She heard Angela getting ready on the other side of the room. "Ange? Could you bring me some soup or something when you get back from class? I don't have anything left."

Angela had been debating whether or not she was going to let her friend's 'illness' slide or if she would address it. When she heard Temperance's normally strong voice weak and so strained, she walked into the bathroom and got the pregnancy test she had bought for her but hadn't dared give to her yet. "Sweetie," she sat down next to her and held out the test. "Soup isn't what you need. But I think this is."

"What? No!" Brennan shied away from the offensive test stick. "It was safe. He asked me, 'birth control?', and I answered 'yes, of course'. He even went into the bathroom to put on a condom." Brennan was ashamed about what happened, even though it had been the night of her dreams. Angela was the only one who knew.

"Condoms can break. If there was a small cut in it, that's enough. It's just to be sure. Once you're sure that you're not pregnant, you can go to the doctor and let him tell you what is wrong with you. Please, just do yourself a favour. I've been where you're at. And trust me, it's best to know."

Brennan paled. She forced herself to get out of bed and grabbed the stick from her friend's fingers. She went into the bathroom and just did it. She took the stick back into their room and waited for the results with Angela. "No," she groaned as she felt intense sickness.

"I can skip class and go to the doctor with you," Angela told her friend as two pink lines became obvious on the test. Positive. Her best friend was pregnant.

"These tests can be wrong. Right?" Brennan desperately wanted a positive answer.

"Yes," Angela told her. "The only way to be sure is have your blood tested by a doctor. Come on. We'll go and find out the truth." The chance that she had a false positive test was very slim to none, but she didn't have the heart to tell her friend that.

"Wait. You have classes today," Brennan said, terror creeping up her stomach.

"It can wait. Come on, hon, we have to face this thing. If you are pregnant, you're going to want options and some options disappear after a little while. So, get dressed."

"I need to take a shower first. I've hardly been out of bed for three days. Thanks for coming with me, Ange. I'm really - really scared."

"I know. I've had scares, too." However, she'd never had a positive test. Angela decided not to divulge that information though. "Do you have a gynaecologist? Otherwise I'm making an appointment with mine."

"I don't have one," Brennan said, slightly panicking.

"That's okay. I'll call mine. All you have to do right now is have that shower. Come on, off you go." Angela gently pushed her into the bathroom and made an appointment for her, where they had to be in an hour. That should give her time to get dressed, without giving her time to freak.

Brennan felt her stomach recoil as she got up and undressed in the bathroom. She threw up in the toilet bowl before taking her shower. Oh, god, what if this was morning sickness?

Angela got something to counter Brennan's nausea and a few saltines. When she emerged, nearly half an our later, Angela gave her the saltines and the medicine. "Have those, then we're leaving."

"Thanks," Brennan said. It felt good to have someone tell her what to do, because she was positively freaking out.

Angela stayed close, pretending to be grabbing all kinds of last minutes stuff, while she had been ready for over half an hour. As soon as Brennan had finished her breakfast, Angela grabbed their purses and smiled. "Come on. We have to be there in 15 minutes."

Brennan followed her best friend, staying close to her. She was beyond nervous. Actually, she felt close to a heart-attack.

Angela drove them to the doctor. They got out of the car and Angela linked arms with her best friend, guiding her inside. The nurse looked up and smiled at the young women. "Is either one of you Temperance Brennan? The last patient cancelled. You can go in now."

Swallowing, Brennan felt Angela's arm around her shoulders and they walked into the examination room. Brennan felt scared and confused, ice cold with bursts of panic firing through her brain.

Angela held her back for a moment and gently embraced her before they entered the office. "You'll be okay, Brenn. I know this is not what you wanted, but you'll be okay. We'll make sure of it together."

Brennan held her friend tightly. She had a feeling it wasn't going to be okay.

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We hope we've managed to surprise you with where this story's going. There will be many more surprises, so stay tuned and please let us know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks again to those who reviewed! Please get ready for the second update of this week :).

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**Chapter 4**

"Easy there, Pops," Booth warned as he helped his grandfather to get out of his car. Jared had moved out the day before, making space for his brother in Hank's apartment.

Hank climbed out of the vehicle, assisted by his grandson. Finally, home. "I've got it, I've got it," Hank told him as he used his walking rack to stay balanced. It had taken him a surprisingly short time to walk again, according to the doctors. But what did they know, really? They only saw ancient people. Hank didn't feel that old yet.

Booth closed the door of the car and locked the vehicle, then hovered around his grandfather, helping him inside and into the elevator. "You're doing good, Pops," he smiled at his grandfather. "This will be nice, won't it?" he smiled. "Living together again. Sharing a home."

"Hm," Hank gave a groan. "I'll be just fine on my own. You should go back to college, son. I mean it."

"Pops, we've already had that conversation." Booth placed his hands on his hips after he pushed the button to the second floor. "I can always go back later. I'll get a job somewhere and I'll help you get settled in. I'm not cut out for college, anyway."

"But you should study. I don't want you to ruin your life because of me," Hank told him, unhappy with his grandson's decisions, however noble they may be. "I love you. I want the best for you."

Booth's mind flashed back to his Captain and he forced himself to stay focussed on the conversation. He missed her, which was crazy. It had been nearly a week since he'd seen her. They'd only had one night together. He didn't even know her name and yet, she occupied his every dream. "'I'm not ruining my life, Pops. I will get a job, you'll see."

"You're a good man, son. Too good, almost. I want you to be happy, to have a good life." Inside, Hank sat down on his comfortable couch. He had his objections, but in the end he was relieved he wasn't alone. "Shrimp, you always were a good boy. I'm proud of you no matter what you choose to do."

"And my choice is to live here with you," Booth leaned down and kissed his grandfather's cheek. He didn't really have a choice in the first place. He had no idea what the identity of his mystery Captain was and no way of finding out. Maybe it was for the best. "Do you want some tea or coffee?"

"Yes, son, please. Get me some strong coffee, come sit here and tell me about your life."

"There isn't much to tell, Pops. College wasn't really my thing." After Booth had turned the coffeemaker on, he sat down on the other couch. "So, Jared got promoted, huh," he smiled widely, changing the subject. "I'm glad for him. He's been working really hard towards that goal."

"Yeah, he has. He's clever. Not smart like you, but clever. How did you like campus life, son?"

Booth sighed. "I enjoyed it," he agreed reluctantly, "but Pops, really, you don't have to feel bad. I had been thinking about stopping anyway. My grades were low and I was having a hard time concentrating."

"Girlfriends?" Hank waggled his eyebrows in a humorous way.

Booth shook his head, "No, Pops, no girlfriends. I've only been at college for a few months after all." But if he'd found her, he found himself thinking, he would've done whatever it would have taken to get her to agree to a date with him.

"That sounds boring. Parties?"

"Yeah, sure, lots of those. I went to a masked ball the evening you fell." Booth got up again and went over to the coffeemaker to pour both of them a cup of strong coffee. He would need it. Because he knew his grandfather and the chances that he was somehow going to get him to tell what happened were very high.

"Sounds sexy!" a rebellious Hank shouted to him.

In the kitchen, Booth rolled his eyes, but he couldn't contain his grin. Well, at least Pops was feeling much better. He returned with two cups of coffee. "Do you want milk or sugar?"

"I'm an old man. I need lots of cream and sugar."

Booth chuckled and went back to the kitchen to retrieve it. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Pops," Booth said as he handed his grandfather the cream and sugar.

"I could have left that place a week ago, but they insisted I go through all that physical therapy. I guess it's for my own good." Hank sipped his coffee. "Ah! Much better than Jared's."

Booth sipped his own cup of coffee and smiled. "Thanks, Pops. What do you want for dinner? You can have a nap while I can go to the store."

"Anything that doesn't come from the hospital. Except pudding. The pudding's good. And get me a girlfriend while you're at it, will ya? As soon as I find one willing to take care of me, you can go back to college."

"Pops, stop it," he turned serious. "This is what I want. I'm here because I want to be with you. I love you too, Pops and I want you to be cared for."

Hank heaved a sigh and drew Seeley's head towards him. He pressed a kiss to his grandson's temple. "I never once regretted taking you boys in. You're the joys of my life."

Booth embraced his grandfather for a moment. "And there is not one day that I don't thank God that you did," he kissed his grandfather's head and straightened. "I'll go get us something nice for dinner. Pudding for dessert."

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How long will it be before Booth meets his Captain again? It's always fun to guess, isn't it? We have a very lengthy chapter planned for the next update to see how Brennan's doing. Stay with us!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So here's the lengthy chapter we promised you. We hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter 5**

Nervously, Brennan knocked on her father's door. He lived in a fairly sleazy apartment building and she didn't see him often. The truth was, she wanted her mother to be there. But her parents separated when she was fifteen, and her brother had gone with her mother while she moved away with her father. Two years later, her mother had died. The split-up of their family had left Brennan an introverted, quiet girl, who lived mostly inside her own head. She hadn't been able to communicate her feelings, especially not with a therapist in front of her. Angela was the only one who knew how to get her to open up.

Max frowned when there was a knock on the door. He got up from his arm chair and turned off the TV. Barefoot and with a bottle of beer in his hand, he walked over to the front door. He looked through the peephole and instantly opened the door. "Tempe! It's been a while, come on in, please."

Feeling unsteady, she followed him into the apartment. This had been no place for a girl to live in, and it still wasn't. She sat down on the couch. "Could you please put away the beer," she asked him fiercely as a wave of nausea hit her upon breathing in the stale smell.

He frowned but did as he was told. She didn't stop by often and he missed his little girl terribly. He got up, put the bottles of beer into the trashcan and opened a window, then he returned to the couch.

She moved to sit close by the window, trying to catch the clean air. "I'm in trouble, Dad," she said, her throat already constricting.

His whole body went on alert at her words and he leaned forwards. "What kind of trouble?"

"I - I went to the masked ball and I met someone... I didn't plan to, but I went home with him. And now..." She couldn't speak past the lump in her throat anymore. She couldn't look at her father, she was ashamed and she didn't want to see the disappointment in his eyes.

He might have had a couple of beers already but he wasn't drunk yet and therefore it was a really simple conclusion to get to. "Oh my God... Temperance, please tell me that I'm wrong. That you're not pregnant."

She hid her face in her hands and couldn't contain her tears any longer. "I don't know what to do. I can't find him. I don't - I don't even know his name. I didn't mean to -"

"Please, just stop talking, now," he told her as he tried to wrap his mind around the words she was speaking. He took a deep breath and spoke up. "So, you're telling me that you took a stranger home with you, let him take advantage of you - without even knowing his name - and now you find yourself pregnant with his child. And you have no way to find the father? What on earth where you thinking, Temperance?"

He was only making her more upset, but then, she'd been stupid, it was her own fault. "We used protection," she whispered, hardly daring to defend herself, "And I didn't mean to do it. But it happened."

"Yes," Max sighed deeply as he looked at her. "It did happen. What do you plan to do about it?" He could see she was feeling miserable. He felt the urge grow to go over to her and so he did. He sat down on the coffee table and reached for her hand. "Do you want to have an abortion? Or do you want to keep it?" He knew which would be the answer he preferred, but he couldn't make these decisions for her. All of a sudden she was an adult woman in his eyes and he would allow her to make her own decisions. Even if he didn't agree with them.

"I don't know." She was so scared, but she didn't tell him that. She didn't want to make herself any more vulnerable than she already was.

"Tempe," he cupped her cheek in his palm and waited for her to look at him. He had made a lot of mistakes when it came to raising his children, but he had been doing his best to make up for it. She didn't stop by very often, so he was having a hard time to prove to her that he had changed, that he wanted to be there for her in her hour of need and when she finally looked up at him, he gave her a sad smile. "You're not alone. I'll help you. And whatever happens, you'll be fine."

She shook her head. "It doesn't feel that way."

"I know it doesn't," he soothed, "but if you're old enough to have intercourse with strange men, you're old enough to deal with the consequences. Did you go and see a doctor?"

His words hit her hard. "Yes, Angela took me. Look, Dad, I have to go. I have to turn in a paper later today and I haven't even started." She rose from the couch and wiped the tears off her cheeks. Her fragile state-of-mind didn't permit her to stay in her father's presence any longer. For some reason she thought her mother would have been able to be more helpful. God, she missed her. But she needed to stop crying now or she'd never stop.

"Temperance, stop." Max walked over to her and took her by her shoulders, gently but firmly. "I may not approve of your actions, or the consequences, but Tempe, you're my daughter. My baby girl. I love you, you know that, right?" His words were soft and slowly, he drew her to his body, hugging her. "I love you. You do know that, don't you?"

She let him hug her, but didn't hug him back. She needed support right now. She knew how stupid she'd been, Max didn't need to tell her that. "It's fine, Dad. You're right; it's my problem. I won't bother you with it. I need to go back, now." Before she'd get too upset to leave the apartment.

"You're not fine, but that's okay. And Temperance, I'm sorry." He felt that she was pushing him away and so he let her. "I know I haven't been a very good father these last few years. And I'm truly sorry for that. I may be disappointed in the situation, but that doesn't mean that I won't support you. I'm here. No matter what you need. I just need you to know that."

"Okay. I'll let you know what I decide." The stupid tears wouldn't stop and she went to the kitchen to get herself a tissue. She shouldn't have come here. She'd hoped for comfort, but he couldn't give it to her, not really. For a moment she surprised herself by wishing 'Zorro' would be here, supporting her. But then, he didn't care about her, either. He'd disappeared after taking her virginity. God, she felt ashamed. "Goodbye, Dad," she said and quickly kissed his cheek. Air, she needed air!

Max felt bad that he hadn't been able to provide her with any comfort and so he did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed the phone and called his son. As soon as he had Russ on the phone, he told his son that his sister was upset and that she needed his support urgently. Russ knew how troublesome their relationship was and Max was aware of how much Russ and Tempe had relied on each other during the divorce and afterwards. Hopefully, she'd be able to allow Russ to comfort her. "Thank you, Russ. Just one more thing. Whatever she tells you, don't judge her. I think I did enough of that for the both of us."

Unbeknownst to the pending arrival of her cherished brother, whom she hadn't seen in years, Brennan was on her way back to campus. She didn't want to take the subway because she didn't want people to look at her. She could not stop crying and eventually she walked into a park and found a quiet spot where she could lean against a tree, sitting on a root, hugging her knees to her chest. The best night of her life had turned the rest of it into a nightmare. She couldn't think straight; all she could do was cry and feel alone. After a long time, she grew too tired to cry any longer. She pulled herself up from the ground. Her legs were stiff with the cold and she walked to the nearest subway station, where she got on a train and went back to her dorm. She wouldn't write any papers today. She'd stay in bed and cry and cry and cry.

By the time his sister had finally arrived at her dorm, Russ had been sitting in front of her door for nearly 40 minutes. His concern for his baby sister had skyrocketed, but since he really didn't know the campus or the city, he had decided to wait it out. When the doors of the elevator finally opened, all he had to do was take one look at her and he knew something had gone terribly, terribly wrong. Her eyes were wide and she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. When she didn't move, he held out his hand to her. "Marco," he told her softly, encouraging her to get out of the elevator.

She took his hand but was too shocked to answer him. She quickly stuck her key in the lock and turned it so they could go inside. She wanted to collapse into him, but after their father's reaction she didn't trust her brother's. She took off her shoes and coat and then sat down on her bed.

He kneeled down in front of her and took her hands in his. "I don't care," he blurted out. "Whatever it is, I don't care. I love you and I will help you no matter what." He couldn't stand to see her so fragile, so vulnerable, so lost. She was his baby sister and she was strong. She always had a reply waiting for you and she would not take any bullshit from anyone. "I love you. No matter what," he whispered and stood. He sat down on the bed next to her and drew her in his embrace. "You're safe. I'm here, Temp."

"You wouldn't say that if you knew what I did. Did Dad call you?" she asked him in an upset voice.

"Yes, he did. And no, he didn't tell me what was wrong. And I'm glad that he didn't. I'm here to hear it from the horse's mouth," he told her softly. "You can tell me anything. I won't judge."

She shook her head. "I don't want you to know. You'll hate me."

"I could never hate you. Not even if you'd done the unthinkable. So let's see, huh?" he encouraged her as he tightened his embrace around her, not willing to let her go. "Did you murder someone?"

"No, of course not," she said, finding herself leaning into his strong, familiar body. Her brother had always stood up for her, and she for him. She really needed his physical comfort. She couldn't accept it from many people, but she could from him.

"I didn't think you had. Did you hurt somebody physically?" She shook her head again. "Did you steal?" Another shake. "Arson? Drugs?" Two more shakes. "I think we've covered the worst ones, wouldn't you agree? Why don't you give me some credit here and tell me what's going on, Temp?"

She opened her mouth to tell him, but before any sound could come out, she burst into tears again. "I'm so glad you're here," was all she could manage. She wanted to tell him what happened, but her throat was completely squeezed shut by her emotions. So she took his hand and rested it on her lower abdomen. As she did so, she sat upright, not wanting him to have a chance to push her away.

"Awe, Temp," Russ lovingly caressed her lower abdomen as he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back to him. "Are you pregnant? Is that it?"

She nodded into his chest. "Don't be nice to me," she said. "I don't even know his name."

His blood ran cold for a moment. "Temp, he didn't... it was consensual, right? He didn't..." he had to swallow, but he needed to finish this sentence, just in case that she had been forced, he wanted her to have an opportunity to tell him. So that it would be a simply yes or no question, so she wouldn't feel trapped by the dilemma of how to tell him that she had been forced. So she could let him know without reliving it all if it had been non-consensual. "Did he rape you?"

"No," she shook her head, "he didn't. I told him I wouldn't sleep with him multiple times, but eventually I still did. I wanted to, in that moment. We used protection..." She held onto her brother tightly as more tears fell. "I'm really sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry, Temp. These things happen." Tenderly, he rubbed her back. "You used protection, there wasn't more you could do," he soothed her raw nerves.

"Just this once, I let myself go. Obviously I'm not someone who gets to do that. And now I don't know what to do. I can't find him anywhere. I shouldn't have trusted him. He seemed different, but he just took what he wanted and now he's disappeared."

"You don't need him, Temp," Russ was quick to react. "You've got me, dad, your friends. We will all help you, no matter what you decide. And the people who don't - if he doesn't, then he doesn't deserve to be in your presence for one minute." He kissed her cheek and gave her a warm, brotherly smile. "Is it okay if I crash here tonight?"

She nodded. "I'm really scared, Russ."

"What scares you the most, Temp?" Russ asked softly as he brushed her hair behind her ears.

"That everything will change no matter what I decide. I never made a plan for this. I don't know how to deal with it," she told her brother. If only he knew how every single one of his words and gentle touches meant to her in that moment, when she most needed someone to be there for her.

"You're right, no matter what happens, your life will change. That doesn't mean, however, that you don't have a say in this. You get to choose. I know you don't have a plan for this, but that doesn't mean that we can't make one. Do you understand what I'm saying, Temp?"

"I guess. I don't know, my brain hasn't been working properly since the dance."

His sister had always been lost if she couldn't approach a problem rationally and he knew that this would be the most difficult situation to compartmentalise from. After all, how do you do that when your dilemma is inside of your body? Russ simply nodded and kissed her cheek. "Can you trust me for a little while?"

"Okay," she said, "I mean, yes, of course I trust you."

He smiled at her. "I know you do, I just wanted to be sure." Russ got up and sat down in front of her. He pulled her shoes off and reached underneath her pillow, where he knew she kept her nightgown. Gently he placed it in her hands, encouraging her to change into it. He got up as well, turned around and started to untie his shoes. He kicked them off and unzipped his jacket. He took that off as well as his sweater and hung them over the back of a chair. He was happy that he had decided to keep his sweatpants on instead of changing into a pair of jeans. "Have you changed?" When she confirmed it with a soft yes, he walked over to the door, and made sure it was locked. As soon as he was certain, he walked over to her, still seated on the bed. He threw back the covers and sat down on the bed. "Come on, sis, let's get some rest." She settled on the bed and Russ lay down next to her. He tucked them in and reached for her hand. "Come here, little one," he teased her with the nickname he had often given her when they had been young teenagers and he had already experienced his grow spurt, while she had to wait for her own.

That elicited a small chuckle from her, and for a few moments she forgot about the burden she carried and crawled into the safety of her brother's arms. "Don't you think I'm stupid?" she asked him. "Or a slut? Irresponsible?"

"One, I know you're not stupid," he huffed, as if he was insulted on her behalf by the very idea. "You're a genius. Two, now, you are not a slut. You decided that according to your standards, it was okay to share your body with him. I'll admit it's a bit weird to think of my sister as a sexual being," he teased her again, "but that doesn't make you a slut. You had a one-night-stand. And unless you are having those twice a day, no, you are not a slut. And whether or not you are irresponsible is yet to be decided. You have decisions to make, but I know - because I know you - that you will make responsible decisions. I know that you will struggle with making them, but I know you will make the right choices for yourself."

"You have a better image of me than I do, at the moment," she told him. Inside, his kind words soothed her.

"No, I have the same image of you as you do, it's just that yours is blurred by fear and anxiety and possibly regret. Things will clear up soon enough. I'll help you do that." He kissed her forehead. "You are my only sister. And I will do whatever I can to help you and keep you safe and loved. No matter what."

"Thanks, Russ. That means everything to me. Polo." She kissed his cheek and got comfortable in his arms, just the way she used to when they were children and she was afraid of monsters or bad dreams.

He held her closely to him and rubbed her back. Eventually, her breathing evened out and he closed his eyes. "Goodnight, Temp. Sleep tight," he smiled and finished the silly children's rhyme. "Don't let the bed bugs bite."

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If you liked this chapter or have any comments, please let us know by leaving a few words; your reviews mean a lot ;). We'll be back soon with another Booth-chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Again, we're very grateful for everyone who took the time to leave us a few words, your messages are very much appreciated! In turn, we've written you another chapter, and we hope you'll enjoy!

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**Chapter 6**

When his grandson entered with the groceries, Hank took a deep breath and beckoned him to come over.

Booth put the groceries down on the kitchen counter and walked into the living room. "Hey, Pops. I thought you'd still be asleep." It had been almost two months since Booth had moved in and they had established an easy routine.

"Son, sit down. I've got something important to tell you," Pops invited him. He hoped his grandson would be able to appreciate this after two months of taking care of his old man.

Booth did as he was told and focussed his attention on his grandfather. "What's up, Pops?"

"Remember how you used to tell everyone you wanted to be a hero who keeps everyone safe when you were little? Son, I hope you can forgive me, but I took the liberty of applying in your name to the police academy. I received the letter this morning. They've accepted you. So, now it's up to you."

Booth was shocked and didn't quite know what to say. "Why did you send an application without even telling me?" His voice was soft and gentle, but he could hear the confusion in his own voice. He looked up at his grandfather. "I can't move away, Pops. I don't have money for a studio. Plus, I'm needed here. To help you. You know I don't mind."

Pops shook his head. "It's only half an hour from here by car. If you want to do this, I can get you a car. I can take care of myself a lot better, now. I can't keep accepting your help knowing you're putting your life on hold, Seeley."

Booth sighed, accepting his words. "Fine, I'll go and check it out." He locked gazes with his grandfather. "I'm not saying I'll go, but I'll go see what it's about. And if I go, you are not buying me a car."

"Yes I am," Hank replied decisively. "I have all this money I was going to spend on your college education and now there's nothing I can do with it."

"You can make sure that you have everything you need, Pops," Booth told him as he got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen, where he started putting the groceries away.

"Just go check it out, son. See if it's for you. And have a nice glass of brandy with me."

"Pops," Booth sighed and turned around, returning to the living room. "Didn't the doc make it clear? No more alcohol. We can have a cup of tea or hot chocolate, or whatever you'd like instead."

Hank heaved a deep, dramatic sigh. "All right then. For you, I'll have a hot chocolate, if you'll have one with me."

"Of course I will, Pops." Booth smiled in relief and returned to the kitchen. As he put the groceries away, images of a black and red mask popped up in his head. He had got used to the unannounced trips down memory lane, but that didn't mean he liked them. It made him realise that he had missed his chance with her. Then again, how much of a chance did he really have? Sure, she gave him one of the most precious gifts a man can receive from a woman, but she was also gone the moment she'd woken up. No, she wouldn't have wanted him. A deep breath filled the silence in the kitchen as he reached for the milk. After all, nobody ever wanted a long-term relationship with him. Maybe this was for the best. Maybe that wasn't what God had in store for him.

"You okay, son?" Hank asked Booth when they drank their warm beverage together.

Booth had a sip of his hot chocolate and looked at his grandfather. "I don't want you wasting your money on a car, Pops."

"It's a millionth of what university costs," Hank replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Picking up on the fact that his Pops wasn't going to be led astray this easily, Booth tried another angle. "Have you heard from Jared?"

"Of course not. He calls once every two weeks. It isn't time yet." They sipped their drinks. "This is really good. Seeley, are you sure this is what you want? You seem a little distraught at times. I just have a hunch it's about a woman. Am I wrong?"

Booth chuckled and sipped his hot chocolate, wishing he hadn't denied the brandy. "No, Pops, you're not wrong, but it's water under the bridge. A done deal."

"Doesn't look like it from here. You wanna talk about it? Need some grown-up advice?"

"I am not a kid anymore, Pops. Besides, there is nothing to talk about. I saw her once and then circumstances prevented us from seeing each other again."

"What was she like?" Hank fished for more information.

Booth wanted to sidestep the question, claiming that they had only spent a few hours together, but he didn't and answered honestly. "She was shy and yet confident. She knew what she wanted, but I think she felt restricted somehow." Well, of course she'd felt restricted, obviously she didn't have much experience. "I really could have liked her."

"Ah," Hank nodded knowingly. "A magical young lady. She's also beautiful, isn't she? But in a unique way."

"Aren't they all?" Booth countered and then sighed, losing the sarcasm. "No, you're right. She was very beautiful. She had a mask on and she didn't take it off, I never got to see her face."

"A mask? Why was she wearing a mask?"

Booth chuckled. "We met at a masked ball."

"I know you think I'm old, but my memory's still functional. And I'm concluding that you met her on the night I had my accident. We should try to find her, Shrimp."

"I don't know anything about her, Pops. I don't even know what she looks like. Besides, I highly doubt she'll be interested. No," he shook his head, "all I need is some time."

"Well, I won't bother you with it, rest assured. If it's meant to be, you'll meet again." Hank gave his grandson an encouraging pat on the knee. His Shrimp could focus on getting an education, first, and make himself a family, later.

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We do realise we're making you wait quite a long time before Booth and Brennan get together (if you've read our other stories, you know we're all about getting them together, so don't worry about them not getting together). Trust us, though, some time is needed to keep the story interesting; we have great plans with it - if we do say so ourselves. We're experimenting with writing fics in a more original, creative way, so that you can't tell from the first chapter what will happen in the fourth, for instance. Well, we hope this reassured you a little, and we'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for your reactions again, we appreciate your words! Here is another Brennan-centred chapter, we hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter 7**

"Russ Brennan," he spoke into his phone, which was pinned between his shoulder and his ear as he continued to refresh the oil in the car which was currently in the shop for a yearly check-up.

"It's me. Can you come? I'm at the clinic. I - I couldn't go through with it," Brennan spoke shakily into her phone. She was dressed in a hospital gown and sitting on the examination table. Five minutes ago, her abortion had been about to take place. It was the logical, rational thing to do. She'd told Angela, Russ, her father; everyone had agreed with her that it was the most practical decision under the circumstances. She'd only just begun her studies, she had barely any income, no father for the baby; it was a big mess. This simple medical procedure could make it all okay. But when she'd stepped into the exam room, it didn't feel that way. It felt like she was going to a funeral. The foetus had been growing and developing inside her for two months. She'd become more healthy; eating enough, wearing a rosy blush on her cheeks, and had a wonderful sense of never being alone. The baby had sort of become her friend, always there, and she couldn't abort her best friend. She just felt that this child had so much to give, so much to become. Removing it was selfish. All arguments aside, she was attached to the baby and she wanted to keep it. Practicality, rationality - none of it mattered. Those arguments were flat words. But her child was alive, flourishing, bringing her joy. No, she couldn't go through with it.

Russ straightened and took the phone in his hand. "I'm coming over. Do you want me to pick you up at the clinic?"

"I'm going to get dressed and get out of here. I'll be waiting outside. Thanks, Russ."

"No worries, Temp. I'll be there as fast as I can." Russ ended the phone call and closed down the shop. He grabbed his car keys and got into his vehicle. The drive wasn't that long, luckily, but it still took him twenty minutes to get there, breaking a few speed limits along the way.

After the phone call, Brennan suddenly felt a serene sense of calm settle over her. Finally, she'd allowed herself to make the right decision. She could breathe again, and she felt relieved. Happy, even, in a very strange way. She got dressed quickly and left the clinic. When after a short wait, she noticed her brother, she smiled and waved at him.

Russ waved back at her and ran over to her. "Are you okay, Temp?" he asked her quietly as his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her into the safety of his embrace. He had been really worried about her ever since she had found out that she was pregnant. That son of a bitch had left her to fend for herself. The bastard didn't deserve to spend any time in his sister's proximity.

Brennan embraced him. "I'm going to be a mother," she told him. "It feels right."

"I'm happy that you made a decision you can support. Come on, let me take you home." Russ guided his sister to his car. "It's Saturday. You can stay over. I don't think you should be alone tonight."

"I actually feel better right now than in the past months. But I'd love to spend the weekend with you, Russ. I'll be twenty years old when I deliver the baby. It sounds a lot better than nineteen, doesn't it?"

"It does," he smiled at his sister, "it really does." They got in the car together and Russ drove off. "So, when are you going to tell everyone? About changing your mind, I mean."

"I think I should call Angela as soon as possible. I don't want to call Dad, though, he sounded so relieved and a little too encouraging when I told him I was having an abortion."

"I think you should give Dad some credit, Temp. He's just really worried about you and he wants you to have the best possible future."

"No, he expects me to have the best possible future, which means there's only room for disappointment," she said bitterly.

"He loves you," Russ told her softly, "You're his daughter." Russ looked at her for a moment. "From a guy's perspective, I can't blame him, okay? That bastard got you pregnant and where is he?"

"He's gone. He's not important. He was nice to me, but that's it. I don't want to think badly of him and I don't want to see him as an interesting, mysterious person. He was there, I was there, it happened and it's in the past. It won't do me any good to blame him."

"You're right." He smiled at her. "You want to know what I think?" he asked her as he continued to drive her home.

"What do you think?"

"That you will be a great mom. And that your kid, whether it's a boy or a girl, will be blessed with you as their mother."

"You really think so? I have no idea how to be a mother. I've barely had a mother in my life."

"That's true. But I know you, little one. You're caring, loving and very responsible. I know you will give your baby whatever he or she may need. Love is what babies need the most and I know that you have more than enough of that."

"I know a lot of people who'd laugh at you for saying that," she told her brother quietly.

"To hell with those people. I'm your brother and I know you. Probably better than anyone else. You will be a great mother. And I have to say... I didn't think you'd go through with it."

She looked at him sharply. "Couldn't you have told me that sooner?"

"No." He shook his head. "Then it wouldn't have been your decision. Not completely. You still would end up doubting yourself. Now you know that you won't."

"Makes sense," she had to admit. They arrived at his apartment and entered. Russ made them a wonderful cup of hot chocolate with mini marshmellows and they got settled on the couch.

"So, since I had been anticipating this, I have a suggestion. How would you feel if I moved closer to your campus? I could find a new apartment. Maybe one that is big enough for three this time?"

"Russ, I - Are you giving up your life for me?"

"No. I'm a mechanic, Temp, I can do that anywhere. And you can't live on campus with a baby, but you can't afford a place for yourself. You can't share a flat with Angela because she doesn't have any money either and we both know that Dad's place is no place to raise a baby."

Brennan frowned. "You're absolutely right. Russ, are you sure?"

"You said two months ago that you didn't have a plan for this, remember? This can be the plan. Let's say for the next five years. While you're pregnant, you can finish this year. Then you can take a year off, to have your baby and learn how to be a mom. At the start of the next year, you can go back to college and finish your education. When you've graduated and are looking for a job, we'll make a new plan for the next five years."

Brennan thought about it for a moment. "It's a more complicated plan than you make it out to be, though. What if you meet someone? What if you want to live with her?"

He chuckled. "It's a flexible plan, we can adapt. But for the time being, I want to share my home with you."

She bit her lip and nodded. "It's the only solution. I'm very grateful for your help, Russ. Really." She placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it.

He turned his hand and squeezed hers. "No need to thank me, Temp. I'm your brother. I will always be here for you when you need me."

"I'm here for you, too. You can always be honest with me. You and Angela are the best things in my life."

Russ looked at her. "Give dad a second chance. I know he hurt you by drinking as much as he did, but he wants to make up for it. He's really worried about you."

"I need to be in a stable mental situation, first. I get weak in his presence, everything he says gets to me."

"You're right. I won't bring him up anymore." He smiled at her. "Now come on! You're pregnant! I'm going to be an uncle! You'll be a mother! This is something to celebrate!"

Brennan smiled. "It feels too weird to celebrate, but then, maybe celebrating will make it less weird. What do you want to do? Eat a cake?"

"That's a good start. I don't have anything special in mind. Just be happy that there is a little one on the way."

She couldn't suppress a smile and looked at him. "You really think I can do this? Be a single mother?"

"Yes," he nodded decisively. "I know you can."

She put her empty cup of hot choco down and wrapped her arms around her brother's neck. "I love you, Russ."

"And I love you, Temp. Your baby, too. You will be just fine." Russ rubbed her back. "I'm here. You won't have to do this alone."

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So, was this a good idea? Can she handle a baby by herself or with someone else? Stay tuned to find out ;). Another Booth chapter later this week!


	8. Chapter 8

We'd like to say welcome to our new readers and thanks again all of you for your wonderful reviews! They can really make our day, so keep them coming ;). We hope you'll enjoy the next chapter!

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**Chapter 8**

Immediately upon seeing his face as he entered, Hank knew his grandson wasn't happy. He'd been doing so well during the past months. Started the police academy, got excellent grades and the best compliments. He was the top of his class, a different experience from university. His confidence had grown acres. Hank knew his grandson was popular among his peers, too. On a few occasions, girls had come at the door asking for him, but his grandson had always instructed Hank to say he wasn't home. Hank knew Seeley was still thinking about his 'Pirate' girl, but maybe it was a more severe case of infatuation than he'd thought. "Hi, Shrimp, did you have fun?" His grandson had been looking forward to this dance party so much.

"It was okay," Booth mumbled as he sat down on the couch. He had been so excited to go. He hadn't had a night out since the night he had shared with her. His Captain. He had been looking forward to it, telling himself that he was over her, but tonight he had realised he was anything but. Several girls had come up to him to dance with him, but there was something wrong with each and every one of them. They were too bold, too tall, too short, too skinny, too curvy, their hair colour was wrong, or the colour of their eyes wasn't quite right. At around midnight he finally realised what he had been doing and he left the party. She wasn't there. He wouldn't find her there.

"You're home early, son. Didn't bring a girl?" Hank asked.

"Why are you so obsessed with the lack of girls I'm bringing home?" Booth snapped. "You'd think you'd be glad that your grandson doesn't sleep around."

Hank ignored his grandson's words, reading his mood. "You still thinking about your Captain, Seeley?" he asked him gently as he invited his grandson to sit with him.

"No! Yes... Maybe. I shouldn't, Pops. It's been months since that night and I shouldn't still feel like this. It was one night. One stupid, perfect night."

"You had sex with her, right?"

Booth sighed. He should've known that his grandfather would figure that out. "Yes, we did. And it was perfect." He chuckled sadly. "It shouldn't have been. I didn't know anything about her and she was still a virgin. It should have been the worst sex of my life, but ... it wasn't."

"Worst sex of your life..." Hank chuckled and punched his grandson in the shoulder. "You bastard," he laughed.

"What?" Booth turned to look at his grandfather, tickled by his response. "I don't see what's so funny about that, Pops!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Hank apologised. "This is a sensitive issue. I get it. You were careful, though, right? Women first like I taught you?"

"Yes, Pops," he responded, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Not that it mattered, 'cause she practically ran the next morning."

"Any idea why?"

"I didn't exactly get a chance to ask her, Pops. She was halfway down the stairs while I was still getting dressed."

"How did you meet her?" Hank inquired.

"At the ball. We spoke, we danced and then we went to my dormroom," Booth confided to his grandfather.

"Wait, wait, wait, you're skipping all the details. This girl's been occupying your thoughts. I want to know everything. Might be good for you to tell someone, too."

"Okay." Booth took a deep breath. "I saw her from the opposite side of the room. She was just standing there all on her own. She seemed distracted and out of place, so I went over to talk to her. It was more than that though, I couldn't see her face properly, but it was as if... her beauty called to me. I walked over to her and handed her a glass of champagne. I was sure she had a boyfriend."

"I take it she didn't?" Hank guessed.

"She didn't even know what I was talking about. I asked her for a dance and she agreed. We danced and even when the songs sped up, we didn't. I suggested that we go back to her dorm, to which she replied she was not going to have sex with me."

"What made her change her mind?" Hank was genuinely curious.

She told me that she preferred to go to my dormroom. She talked to a friend of hers and then we left. Once we got there, she still wasn't sure. She asked me how she could be sure that I wouldn't lock her up, rape her and murder her. I told her that she couldn't know for sure and then I kissed her and she just... didn't protest."

"So you're irresistable, huh?" Hank remarked with a grin, then turned serious again. "So, what's she like? Or didn't you get to see anything of her personality?"

"Of course I got to see some of her personality. She was stubborn and defiant and sweet and passionate and... and none of it matters, Pops, 'cause she ran the next morning."

"At least now I know why she's stuck in your head. She sounds like a rare bird. A precious one."

"Yeah, well, I don't want her to be stuck in my head. I don't want to miss her like we just broke up after a lengthy relationship."

"You have a feeling she might be the one?" Hank asked as he put a compassionate hand on his grandson's shoulder.

"I miss her so much that I get a sick feeling in my stomach, Pops. I wanted to go after her, talk to her, ask her out on a date. Show her that I could be trusted, but she ran. She didn't feel the same way."

"Shrimp, women run for lots of different reasons. You said she insisted on not having sex with you, and then she did. Maybe come morning she realised what she'd done and it scared her, or confused her. Who knows – she may have been looking for you after a few days."

"I'm just going to have to accept that I got one night with her and that's it. And I'm grateful for that, Pops, I really am, but I can't help that I want more."

Hank thought about it for a few moments. "I would never advise you to give up your education, son, so perhaps once you've finished the academy, you can go look for her."

"No. I'm almost 26, Pops. It's time I get a job and get a place for myself. Well, for us, I can't keep living off of you. I have to carry my weight and I will."

"Don't you worry about that right now, Shrimp. Everything will turn out all right. First things first, though. Keep up your grades, you know you have the talent."

"I will." Booth sighed and got up. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Pops."

"Goodnight, son. Tomorrow, things will look better. Take it from an old man."

"I hope so, Pops. I hope so." Booth went to his room and stood by the window, looking up at the sky. "Look over her, Lord. Keep her safe. I feel like I should've been by her side, but things are the way they are. Pops is right, though. I'll find her. One day..."

In the living room, Hank heaved a sigh for his grandson. Love was tough, he certainly knew that. He heard Seeley rummage and then not another sound. He had really gone to bed. Of course, Hank wished the best for his grandson, but stability was fragile and Seeley needed a stable life. He couldn't go back to his old ways or to his youth. After stealing a small drink from the forbidden bottle of liquor, Hank went to bed as well.

_Booth was in a hospital, standing in the maternity ward. He was standing in front of a glass window and there was only one baby he could see. A beautiful baby girl. He had no proof that it was a girl, and yet he was certain. He stood there for a long time, simply watching the baby girl, as he grew to love her. She was his, he realised suddenly. "My baby girl..." he whispered in awe. He felt somebody snuggling up to him, arms were wrapped around his waist. "She sure is," he heard the somebody mumble. He knew that voice! He turned his head to look and sure enough there she was, his beautiful, fierce, passionate Captain. He leaned down and kissed her lips. They had found each other again, and everything would be okay now..._

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We've received a number of reviews stating that it's taking too long for Booth and Brennan to get back together. The story will pick up more speed after this chapter, and we've decided to start a countdown to the chapter wherein Booth and Brennan's paths will cross again. Please bear with us, because we need to set it up right. We'd love to hear from you all again! Number of chapters to go until Booth and Brennan meet again: 4. (But the circumstances are still a secret!)


	9. Chapter 9

Dear readers, get ready for an extra long chapter that will hopefully warm your hearts :).

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**Chapter 9**

It was the middle of the night when Brennan woke up from the pain. It was a weird kind of pain. She'd never experienced it before, yet she knew exactly what it was. "Russ!" she called out, slightly panicked. "Russ!" As she moved onto her side, she felt that the bed was wet. Her water had broken.

Russ was startled awake by the screams of his sister. She was due any minute now and he sprinted to her room. Turning the light on, he approached her. "What is it, Temp?"

For a few moments, she couldn't respond. The contractions were taking up all her energy already. She had a feeling it was going to be quick. She squeezed her brother's hand. "We have to get to the hospital," she panted.

"Yes," he agreed. "I'll grab your bag. Just let me know when the contractions lessen for a moment, so I can help you into the car. I'm going to call Dad."

"Wait - can you stay with me for a moment? Just a moment. I'm scared." She reached for her brother, her other hand on her protruding belly.

Immediately, he returned to his sister's side and sat down on the bed next to her. "There is nothing to be scared of. Remember the birthing class? Breathe in, hold, breathe out."

She closed her eyes and tried to breathe with him. "You'll stay with me, right?"

"Of course. Every step of the way, for as long as you will allow it," he squeezed her hand. "Let me know when it stops for a little while. Maybe I should call an ambulance instead."

"No, I can go now. Let's go now," she urged him.

"Okay, come on," he helped her to stand and change into a warm skirt and sweater. Slowly but surely, they made their way into the hallway. He helped her into her coat as he grabbed her bag. "You're doing great, Temp."

"No, I'm not. It freaking hurts," she groaned as she got herself out the door as best as she could.

Russ immediately wrapped his arm around her waist, supporting her as he guided her out the door and to the car. "Time the contractions, Temp," Russ told her. He knew it would distract her and it would give them and the doctors an idea of how far along his sister was.

"I'll try to watch the clock," she replied as he helped her get seated and buckled in. The next set of contractions occurred as he was driving her to the hospital. The following set occurred seven minutes afterwards and by this time, Brennan almost couldn't contain her moans of pain. "Drive faster," she told her brother. She'd never felt anything like this. Even menstrual cramps were a walk in the park compared to these contractions. A sheen of sweat covered her brow and she felt her muscles pushing her baby down. She couldn't get comfortable. Everything hurt. Her belly, her back, even her legs. "Oh, god," she groaned.

"I'm almost there, Temp, I'll get you and your little one to the hospital. All you have to worry about is your breathing and staying calm." At a red light, he reached for her hand, squeezed it and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "Come on, Temp. This is what we've been training for. Together, right? You can do this. You're not alone. I'm right here." He had always had a strong bond with his younger sister and during her pregnancy, it had only strengthened. Since that bastard hadn't been around to go to Lamaze and preparation classes, doctor's visits and shopping trips, Russ had been by her side every step of the way.

She squeezed his hand hard and nodded as she tried to battle the pain. "Five minutes, Russ. It's going fast."

"She's impatient." He winked at her. "Does that remind you of someone?" he teased as he drove as fast as he was allowed to the nearest hospital.

"Shut up, Russ," she spoke through clenched teeth. Then, "Sorry, but I'm in a lot of pain."

"I can only imagine. It's okay, little one. Today you get a free pass. You get to be irrational and angry for no reason and I won't hold it against you. Have you decided on a name for your baby girl yet?"

"Russ, I have no brain activity. Are we at the hospital yet? Because I'm going to give birth in about two minutes," she almost shouted. If she'd known how much this was going to hurt, she wouldn't have gone for it. In that moment, it made no sense at all that women would have more than one child. The pain was simply too much to handle.

"Of course you have brain activity," he told her as he parked the car. "Otherwise you couldn't yell at me. Just hang on," he got out of the car, locked his door and ran to the other side, opening the passenger door. "Are you having a contraction right now?"

"No, not at the moment." She felt a wave of relief when she saw the hospital entrance behind him.

"Perfect. Come on, I'll help you out. I'll come back for your bag later."

She managed to get out of the car and walking actually felt a little bit better. As soon as they were inside, Russ called to the nurse behind the desk what was going on and one minute later, a gurney was rushed into the room. Brennan lay down on it and they were taken upstairs. She held Russ's hand tightly as her body tried to push her baby's head through her seemingly way too narrow birth canal.

"We're at the hospital, Temp. We've made it this far and you're doing great." He held her hand as the midwife helped her to push her skirt higher, so she could check the dilation.

"Eight centimeters already, things are moving fast! How long between contractions?"

Russ looked at the midwife. "About five. Can you give her something for the pain?"

The midwife shook her head. "It won't do much good anymore now, she's almost fully dilated. We're going to attach mother and baby to the monitors. We can start pushing soon."

The pain was getting so intense and unrelenting that Brennan turned quiet, her eyes squeezed closed and a death-grip on her brother's hand. She didn't want anything anymore besides the baby being out of her.

Russ allowed her to squeeze her hand and as the nurses hooked her up to the monitors, he pulled up a chair and sat down in it. They had discussed the birth and she'd decided it would just be them. Angela was studying and his sister didn't want their dad around, so he had agreed that he would be the one holding her hand. He wanted to reassure her, ask her if there was something he could do, but in the end, he remained quiet and let her nearly break his hand.

For about five minutes, Brennan's laboured breath and the monitors beeping were the only sounds in the small room. She was in so much pain that she couldn't communicate anything to the outside world anymore. She hated her Zorro so fiercely in those moments, she could have killed him had he walked into the room. He'd put this baby inside of her, forcing her to give birth to it in this excruciating manner.

The midwife entered the room again and she gently placed Brennan's legs in the right position so she could check her progress. "You're fully dilated, we're moving to the delivery room. You're doing great, Temperance. It won't be long now until you get to hold your baby."

Russ got up and walked alongside his sister as she was wheeled into the delivery room. She wouldn't let go of his hand, so he stayed. The midwife returned with scrubs for him. "You have to let go of my hand, little one, so I can put the scrubs on."

Brennan opened her eyes and looked at him to make sure he was still there, then she gave a small nod. He was back just in time for another particularly painful set of contractions. This time, she nearly screamed as she felt every cell being stretched to its limit and beyond. She was exhausted, but suddenly found an enormous amount of power as she started to push.

"That's it," the midwife coached her. "Do not push once the contraction has disappeared, just wait for the next one."

"Come on, Temp," Russ encouraged her. "You can do this."

She fell back into the pillow after her first push, out of breath. Her body didn't grant her much rest, though, for the next contraction announced itself rapidly and she had to push again. Even the contractions weren't as painful compared to this. Finally, she felt the baby's head pop out. On the next contraction, the shoulders, and then the rest of the tiny body followed. Brennan's body immediately went limp and she felt she would pass out. But then, she heard it. Her baby's cries. Her body physically responded to the crying and she sat up a little as a nurse lowered her legs. Her eyes focussed on the tiny human in the midwife's arms and Brennan was in tears.

"She's beautiful," Russ whispered as his niece was placed on his sister's breasts and abdomen. He released her hand and helped her to support the baby as she held her daughter with trembling arms. He leaned down and kissed her temple as his niece continued to cry. "Congratulations, mom."

Brennan looked at the little miracle on her belly and smiled with happiness and awe. She closed her eyes as Russ pressed a kiss to her temple, feeling so much love for her family. Her brother was simply the best thing in her life. He'd supported her through the worst and best times since she found out she was pregnant. He'd done everything; from cleaning to cooking, so she could continue her study. And she had, even though it was hard to ignore the looks and whispers aimed at her in the hallways and lecture halls. Russ rested his body next to hers, keeping one leg on the floor, and Brennan rested her head on her brother's shoulder. Then, her baby girl's eyes opened, leaving no question as to who her father was. Some time ago, Brennan had asked Russ about what the daughter of Zorro was called in the movie. Now, she said, "Elena. Her name is Elena Angela Brennan."

* * *

The afterbirth had been delivered and Brennan had been brought to a hospital room where she was recovering. Elena Angela Brennan was sleeping in a crib and they both couldn't keep their eyes off of her. "She is beautiful. Your very own little angel," Russ told her. "I'm so proud of you and mom would've been too, had she been here."

Brennan's eyes teared up at the mention of their mother and she nodded. "I never thought this would happen to me, but I'm glad I had her. Thanks so much, Russ. You've always been the best brother in the world, but you've really outdone yourself these past nine months. I can never thank you enough." She only made herself cry more, but they were both used to it by now.

"You don't have to thank me. We talked about this, right? All you should be worried about is figuring out how to be a mother to Elena and focus on finishing school and getting your degree. I will worry about the finances. That's our five-year plan, right?"

She nodded, smiling because she was so lucky to have him. "Can you call Dad? And then I'd like to call Angela."

"I will. I'll call Dad. And he'll come over, even though it's the middle of the night. Because he loves you." Russ kissed her cheek and got up. "I'll be right back."

Brennan turned her face towards her daughter again. That something so tangible, so important and so miraculous could come into being from just one magical night. But as she looked at her daughter, she could clearly see her father's traits. She never thought she could even tell the difference between newborns, but now she could. And this little girl belonged to Zorro. Brennan wondered how he'd react to learning he had a daughter. But she'd never seen him again and she probably never would. In her mind, she both hated and loved him. He'd brought her so much trouble, yet he'd also given her such a complete sense of acceptance and safety. She was relieved she hadn't gone through with the abortion. She felt happy. That tiny baby girl in the crib was a small package full of promises, of surprises and infinite love. A connection so deep and reassuring that she felt she could handle anything.

"Hey, Temp," Russ whispered, holding out his cell phone to her. "Dad wants to talk to you before he leaves. I told him he could talk to you here, but he won't let it go, can you...?"

She nodded and put the phone to her ear. "Hi, Dad," she said softly.

"Hi, Temperance, how are you feeling? Did everything go okay?"

"I'm tired. And happy. The pain was awful, though."

"I want to come over. I want to see you and my granddaughter. Would that be okay?" Max had driven her even further away from him when she'd announced that she'd changed her mind and that she was going to keep her baby. Now, Max was determined to make it up to his daughter.

"Yes, Dad, you can come see her. She's perfect, you'll see." She was totally incapable of being bitter towards her father at this moment.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Tears filled Max's eyes and he got up, collecting his stuff. "Is there anything you need? Anything you want? I can bring it with me for you."

"No, everything's fine. Or - maybe you can pick up Angela on your way here. She's my friend from Arts. She's like a sister to me and she'll want to come."

"I will. It might take me a bit longer, but I will go and pick her up. I'll be there as soon as I can." His daughter gave him Angela's address and reassured him that she would let Angela know that he'd pick her up. "I love you, darling."

She bit her lip. "Love you, too, Dad," she whispered, then hung up. "I can't believe I just said that," she told Russ. "He's been so unkind to me. At least he's going to bring Angela. That should cheer everyone up."

"He's made mistakes, Temp. And he's a proud man, but he's trying. He really wants to mend the relationship he has with you. He regrets the way he reacted to your pregnancy."

"He should. He should feel ashamed of himself when he sees her. Elena." Brennan pronounced her daughter's name a few times, getting used to the sound of it. Brennan took a breath and couldn't help but smile as she watched her daughter sleep. "I'll call Angela now," she said and dialled her best friend's number.

"Whoever this is, it better a big-ass emergency," Angela grumbled sleepily into the phone. She'd studied and worked all night and had gone to bed early, only to be awoken by her cell phone around 2 AM and she wasn't happy about it.

"Ange, it's me. I... I had my baby tonight." Brennan started crying again, but out of happiness.

"Brenn? Oh my god! Congratulations! Oh my god, how is she? How are you? Did eveything go okay? How much does she weigh? How tall is she? Where are you? Ah damn it, I don't know if I'm going to get there! No worries though, I will..." She was interrupted by her friend and laughed sheepishly. "Whoops. Sorry..."

"Ange, we're fine and my dad's on his way to come get you. My baby's beautiful and healthy."

"What's her name?" Angela asked as she got up and got dressed.

"Elena Angela Brennan."

Angela froze when she heard the name. "You named her after me? Awe, sweetie..." tears formed in her eyes. "I'm honoured."

"Well, I consider you my sister, Ange. You've done so much for me. And you're her family, so... Do you like it?"

"It is perfect, sweetie. You chose well. Look, I'm going to get dressed and then I'm going to come over with your father. I love you. See you soon!"

"I love you, too, Ange." They hung up and Brennan handed the phone back to Russ. "Can you give her to me? I want to hold her," she asked her brother.

"Sure," Russ picked the baby up out of the crib and smiled as Elena curled up against him. She was dressed in a fluffy, soft, green onesie which he had bought for his niece. He placed her in her mother's arms and smiled at her. "I can step out if you need to nurse her."

"I don't know if I have to nurse her now. Should I? She's not fussy or anything." She happily accepted the tiny baby in her arms and settled her on her chest.

"I don't think so, no." Russ sat back down on the bed next to his sister. "Aren't you tired, Temp?" he whispered as he softly combed her hair back with his fingers, knowing that it was a movement, a sensation that calmed and soothed her.

She relaxed instantly. "I am, and I'm not at the same time." She felt such a rush of deep, deep love for the baby in her arms that she could hardly contain her happiness. Brennan kissed the top of her daughter's head, then put the small baby hat back in place to keep her warm.

Mesmerised by the newest member of the Brennan family, Russ and his sister kind of lost track of time, so when a soft knock was heard on the door, it seemed like hardly any time had gone by. Angela entered with Max in tow. "Oh my god!" Angela whispered as she approached them. "Awe, she's gorgeous! Can I hold her?"

Max followed quietly. He gave his son a questioning look and felt better when Russ simply nodded. Everything had gone as planned. No complications. At least, he could breathe freely again. Even though this was just the start of parenthood for his young daughter. Then again, he was determined to clean up his act, so he could offer help, which she would hopefully accept.

"Yes, you can. Say hi to your aunt Angela, Elena," Brennan smiled and handed her baby girl to her best friend. Then, she turned to her father. "Hi, Dad. This is your granddaughter."

"She's just as beautiful as you were the day you were born." Max walked over to her and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He leaned back a bit and smiled at his daughter as he cupped her cheek. "I'm so sorry, baby. I know I haven't been the father you deserve, but I'm going to start making up for that. I promise."

"It's okay," Brennan said, "I had Russ. And Angela. I was fine. I know you had a hard time dealing with my decisions."

"I did. But I'm your father and I should've supported you. I'm sorry that I didn't . I'm ready to start doing that now. I - I brought something for you." He reached into his pocket and got out a silver necklace with a pendant in the form of a small dolphin. "This used to be your mother's. Now that you are a mother, I think you should have it."

Brennan's eyes widened in recognition. "She wore that always! I thought it went to her grave with her." She looked up at her father.

He shook his head. "She always wanted you to have it. And yes, originally, I had asked them to put it on her, but I couldn't. I didn't tell you because it would've been too painful for me to see you walking around with it. I'm sorry, baby. Can you please give me a chance?"

"I need you to know that if you can't accept my daughter, I can't have you be a part of her life. But we can give you a chance. Of course we can."

"She's your flesh and blood. I lost sight of that for a little while and I'm sorry. Of course I accept your baby girl. You don't know how much I want to hold her."

Angela approached them and smiled. "What do you think, Mommy? Can Grandpa hold her?"

Brennan nodded. "Go ahead."

"What's her name?" Max asked her as he cradled his granddaughter in his arms as he went to sit down on the bed next to Brennan's feet.

"Elena Angela Brennan," she replied, now getting used to the name. It fit her. Somehow, Brennan knew her daughter had a strong character.

"It's a strong name. She's beautiful. Congratulations, Tempe." Max cuddled with his granddaughter and gave Angela and Temperance a few minutes to catch up. When he noticed his daughter subtly hide a third yawn, he got up. "I think we should all go and give you a chance to get some rest."

"I'm not tired," Brennan protested. The atmosphere in the room was warm, festive, happy, connected. She basked in it. She hadn't known many moments like this one. It was so special. Elena hadn't mind being passed from one set of arms to the next. She seemingly trusted everyone.

"Your dad is right, sweetie. Don't think I haven't seen you yawning." Angela yawned herself. "I need to get some more sleep as well. And Max is my ride home, but don't worry," she leaned forward and embraced her best friend. "We'll be back tomorrow. With gifts," she added with a grin.

The girls kissed each other's cheeks. "I think they said Elena and I could go home tomorrow. We could meet at our place," Brennan suggested.

"Yes," Russ agreed. "That's a deal. So sleep now, Temp. Do you want me to go home with them?"

"You can if you want to. You probably should. You haven't had any sleep, either, and I won't be alone here," she smiled, indicating the baby in her arms.

"You won't be," he agreed and leaned down to kiss her temple. "Sleep tight, Mommy." He leaned back and added in a whisper. "You made your daughter proud today. You made all of us proud."

"I love you, Russ. I couldn't have wished for a better uncle for my daughter," Brennan whispered back and they all said goodbye. The next moment, Brennan was alone with Elena. "Hi, little girl. I love you," she spoke softly to her daughter, who opened her eyes. Brennan smiled at her and kissed her tiny fists. Elena started to make sucking noises and Brennan wondered if she should feed her. She'd never done this before. Should she be supervised? But then, she thought, I'm a mother, I'm certified. She cradled Elena in the crook of her arm and exposed her breast. She guided Elena's lips to her nipple and was curious to see what would happen. Nature ran its course and Elena's eyes closed as she started to suckle. Brennan's breasts delivered the all-important, essential first milk to her newborn and she felt like the most powerful woman in the world. She realised she'd grown up a lot in just nine months. She couldn't be selfish anymore. She wouldn't. She was happy. Her daughter was healthy and drinking well. Her family were there for her. Right now, life was perfect.

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We hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as we loved writing it. Please let us know ;). Three more chapters until Booth and Brennan meet! You'll start seeing the signs in the next chapter...


	10. Chapter 10

We're glad you liked the previous chapter! For this one, we'll be taking a big leap in time... don't freak out, we still have this thing under control. To soften the blow; the idea for this story came from a scene that popped up in one of our minds and together we created the fic around it. The scene will be the point where Booth will meet his family, and it's not too long away. Bear with us, and enjoy this chapter!

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**Chapter 10**

Booth got up when the bell rang. He opened the door and smiled at his brother. "Jared." He pulled him into a brotherly hug and invited him in. "Thanks for coming. Come on, the pasta is in the oven, I have to go back to the kitchen." Jared followed him. He put down the bottle of wine he had brought with him to celebrate Seeley's new job and walked over to their grandfather. "Pops! You look good. How are you?" Jared leaned down and embraced his grandfather.

"Good, good, all thanks to Seeley's great care and your monthly visits. I love it when I have both my boys with me. Glad you could make it, son."

"Well, Seeley doesn't get a job every day," he smiled at his grandfather. "How is he doing?"

"Wonderful. He graduated top of his class with honours, did he tell you that? I couldn't be more proud. How have you been, Jared?"

"Great! Actually, I have reason to celebrate, too." Jared smiled widely and took his phone out. He opened his pictures folder and showed one to his grandfather. "I bought a two-story colonial house. Just a few miles from where I live now." He paused. "It's big enough for two, Pops."

"What? Oh, Jared," Hank squeezed his grandson's hand. "You make me so proud. It's a beautiful house. Fit for a family."

"It is fit for family, Pops. All I have left to do is find that special someone. Lily and I broke up. She - uhm - she broke up with me a few days ago." Jared shrugged his shoulders, "Things have been going downhill for a little while now, so..." They were interrupted as Booth emerged from the kitchen. "Dinner is served!" Jared stood and grabbed the bottle of wine. "Great! I'll pour us something to drink."

Hank patted Jared's shoulder in support and they all went to the kitchen and sat down at the table. "This smells delicious. I'd almost say Seeley feeds me better than my mother did," Hank chuckled.

Booth handed out the plates and frowned when he saw his brother pouring a third glass. "Jared, you know Pops isn't supposed to have alcohol."

Jared rolled his eyes. "Jeez, Seel, it is one glass."

"You don't think I could even have half a glass?" Hank tried with his grandson. "If you say no, I won't drink it."

"Pops, I hardly think Seeley should make your decisions for you." Jared was silenced by the look his grandfather gave him and they waited for Booth's response.

"Pops, you have to take so many different pills. The doc said no alcohol, but... I suppose half a glass with dinner can't hurt. Nothing more than that, though."

"I promise," Hank said. "Just for this special occasion. Seeley's brought me back to health, Jared, I value everything he says. Doesn't mean he's the boss of me, but it means I want to listen to him."

"You two make quite the pair," Jared chuckled and hesitated. "Is Pops moving with you?" he tried to keep it as light as he could, nonchalant almost.

Booth frowned. "Actually, no, we haven't discussed that, but I assumed that Pops would be moving with me."

Jared spoke up, "Well, Seeley, actually, I was hoping he'd move in with me."

Booth chuckled. "Come on, Jared, you're apartment is even smaller than this one." Jared looked at his grandfather, not knowing how to broach this subject. He had no idea who his Pops preferred to live with.

"Show him the house you bought, son," Hank said. "Seeley, you tell me if you think it would be a good place for an old man to live."

Booth accepted his brother's phone and looked at the different pictures. It was a beautiful, spacious, authentic colonial house. "Congratulations, Jared. This is beautiful." He looked at their grandfather. "It's the kind of house you deserve to live in, Pops."

"Son, I've had the time of my life with you. What you did for me means a lot more than you think. But it's time you started to live your own life again. Go look for your Captain, make her yours. I'll be in good hands with your brother."

"Your Captain?" Jared raised an eyebrow. "What did I miss?"

Booth ignored his brother and nodded. "If that is what you want, I'll help you move to Jared's place. No alcohol, though, Pops," he emphasised.

Jared frowned. "Are you in love, Seel?" He waited a few seconds and when his brother didn't react, his smile grew. "He is! Well, what's she like?" He frowned. "Why do you call her your Captain? That's kind of a silly petname."

Booth sighed, "It's a long story, Jared."

His brother grinned. "I've got all night."

Booth gave in and told his brother the short version. "And now, I've asked to be transferred back there. It was approved yesterday, so actually it would make things better for everyone if Pops would be welcome with you." Booth turned to Pops, "Please don't take it the wrong way. I love living with you, but I think you'll be more comfortable at Jared's place."

"Shrimp, this old man is ready for a new adventure. You've got your life ahead of you, you deserve to fully grasp this opportunity. Go take it and find your happiness. If my boys are happy, I'm happy. And I'll never forget what you did for me. Both of you. I'm so proud." Hank nearly cried and quickly took a sip of his wine, then made a face. "Haven't had this stuff for a long time. I'm not used to the bitter taste anymore. Seeley's wasted me with his hot chocolate. I don't want this anymore. Jared, you have it, unless you have to drive." Resolutely, Hank pushed the glass away from him and looked for something to get rid of the taste.

Both brother's chuckled and Booth pushed the basket of bread towards his grandfather. "Here you go. And you can crash on the couch, Jared. If you don't mind." His brother lifted his glass and drank the rest. "Nope, Seel, I don't. Thanks."

Hank needed two slices of bread to get rid of the horrible taste. How did he ever like that sewege water? The rest of the evening, they enjoyed a wonderful dinner. Naturally, his grandsons ended up trying to be the bigger man with their accomplishments, but the atmosphere remained festive. Hank was already fantasising about his new home. What colours he wanted on the walls, which furniture he would insist on bringing along... He felt revived, like a young lad. He certainly was an adventurous grandpa, they had to give him that. Most of all, he prayed Seeley would finally find his Captain and marry her. Make a family. Then, Hank could die in peace. For now, his presence was still needed and he wasn't going anywhere.

The evening ended and Booth gave his brother a pair of his own pyjamas. They all settled on the couch and continued to talk. Jared preferred another glass of wine, but for his Pops and himself, Booth made a cup of hot chocolate. They talked for a few more hours and then they all went to bed, ready for new beginnings in the morning.

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The bad news is: four years have passed (we never said this would be a fairy-tale type of story). The good news is: Booth is going to look for his Captain! Two more chapters 'till they meet... We'd love it if you can leave us a review!


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks again for all your wonderful reviews! We admire the patience of some of you who told us to take our time bringing Booth and Brennan back together. Well, we're not rushing anything, as you may have noticed. Are you ready to meet 4-year-old Elena?

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**Chapter 11**

There was a knock on the door and Brennan called, "Elena! They're here!" Her little girl came running on her little legs and insisted on opening the door. Brennan's face broke into a broad smile and Elena started jumping up and down. There was her uncle Russ and he'd picked up his girlfriend with her daughters. Elena had been looking forward to meeting girls who were also kids. Brennan kissed Russ's cheek and then welcomed Amy and her girls into their home for the first time. Max had yet to arrive, but he'd be there soon.

"Amy, this is my sister, Temperance, and her daughter Elena. Temp, this is the love of my life, Amy, and her two beautiful daughters Emma and Hayley." They entered and Russ assisted Hayley in taking her shoes off while Amy helped Emma. Their coats were put away and the girls ran into Elena's bedroom, where they would get to know each other and could play all they want.

Brennan greeted Amy. Her social life had been almost non-existent these past four years, and she felt excited to meet someone new. She was certain Amy would be wonderful, otherwise her brother would never have fallen for her like he did. "Hi, Amy. It's really nice to meet you. Russ can't stop talking about you and your girls. They're lovely."

"Your brother can't stop talking about you, either. I'm so happy to finally meet you." Amy embraced her. "It feels like I've known you as long as I've known your brother. Can I help you make dinner?"

"It's already in the oven. It'll be ready in about forty-five minutes. Would you like some tea?" They walked into the living room. For once, it was actually tidy. Usually, Elena's toys littered the carpet, but Brennan had put everything back in her room so she and Amy's girls could play there. Brennan invited Amy to sit. "My dad will be here soon. He's on his way," she told Amy. Her relationship with her father had improved a lot over the past years. With Brennan having to do internships and Russ working and spending time with Amy, they'd needed Max to babysit Elena quite often. Max had quit drinking altogether and really cleaned up his act. He was dependable, helpful, and, most importantly; he was nice.

"I would love some tea. Oh God, I'm nervous," Amy confided to the other woman. "I just want this to be perfect."

Russ went to sit next to her and he squeezed Amy's hand. "Relax, baby, it's just my sister."

Amy smiled. "Yes, of course, I know that. But I want her to like me. She's important to you."

Russ smiled. "Yes, she is. Very important."

"Don't worry about me, if Russ loves you, that's enough for me. I trust his judgment. He's told you what he did for me, didn't he?" Brennan tried to reassure Amy.

Amy became serious. "He did. And I'm sorry that you were forced to be a single parent. Russ is a good dad, though. He's patient and loving, caring and tender. He doesn't mind that he's not the biological father, he does what he can." Amy released Russ' hand and reached for Temperance's. "I've been a single mom for nearly eight years now and let me tell you this, you are doing great. I have a lot of respect for you, Temperance. You're a great rolemodel for your own daughter and I know you'll be a great aunt to my daughters."

"Thank you," Brennan smiled a bit shyly. "I do the best that I can. It's nice meeting someone who understands the situation. Do your daughters see their father?"

"No. He gave up his parental rights. They don't know him. He wasn't with me when I gave birth, he doesn't send cards for their birthdays, no presents for Christmas, either. If I understand the situation correctly, Elena's father doesn't know that you were pregnant?"

"No, he disappeared. I never got to let him know. But Russ has covered everything," Brennan smiled. "He was there when I gave birth to Elena and he's been there ever since. I've been telling him for years to go out and get a girlfriend. I'm glad he's found you and your girls."

"Me, too. Well, at least Elena's father has an excuse, Emma and Hayley's dad simply chooses to ignore his daughters." Their conversation was interrupted when the bell rang.

Elena came running out of the room, her pig tails bouncing on her shoulders. "Grampa Max!" she screamed excitedly and ran to the front door. "Mommy, Mommy, Grampa's here!"

"Don't worry, Max already likes you," Brennan told Amy before getting up to open the door. "Hi, Dad," she greeted him and kissed his cold cheek. "Amy and the girls are here."

Max didn't get much time to greet his daughter, since his granddaughter attached herself to his leg. "Grampa, Grampa, Grampa! I have new friends!"

Max chuckled, bent down and swung his granddaughter into his arms. "There is my beautiful girl. Well done, baby. You are going to have lots and lots of friends." He gave her a kiss and walked inside. "Tempe," he greeted her and carried Elena to the couch. She slithered out of his grasp and returned to her room. "And you, must be Amy."

"I'm going to make tea," Brennan announced and she left the others to introduce themselves. Amy would soon find out that everything would be fine. Brennan was so glad that Amy had little girls Elena could play with. She'd always regretted not being able to offer Elena a lot of contact with kids her age. Brennan had been able to finish her bachelor without delays. She'd attended practicals but not lectures. She'd studied at home and passed every exam while taking care of Elena. Since Elena had turned three, Brennan had been homeschooling her. Now that she was four, Elena could read and keep herself entertained with every library book she could get her little hands on. Since then, Brennan had had more time to study, Elena lying on the couch beside her reading her own materials. Brennan had managed to cram two master years into one and a half, so she was almost done studying. She had mixed feelings about looking for a job. On the one hand, she'd finally be able to provide for her family. On the other, she didn't like being away from her little girl, and little girls weren't allowed in the lab. Now that Russ had met Amy and her daughters, Brennan knew that the moment she'd move out with Elena was approaching. She would be facing another challenge, but she'd made it through university, which many people had told her would be impossible as a single mother, so she'd get through the other things as well. When the tea was ready, Brennan put it on a tray with cups and cookies, then carried it into the living room. "Everything okay?" she asked Amy.

Amy smiled, obviously relieved. "Yes. You have a wonderful family, Temperance." They chatted for a little while amongst themselves, sharing stories, swapping tales about their little girls and having a good time. When it was time for dinner, the girls were called and they enjoyed their meal in peace.

Amy's girls were well-behaved, even better than Elena, Brennan had to admit. Elena knew how to behave, but she had a mind of her own and made her own decisions, young as she was. She was different from Brennan, far more outgoing, so Brennan guessed that Zorro was outgoing as well. Like this, she deducted more traits of Elena's father. Her daughter had big, dark eyes, which had to be from her dad. She was athletic, as well. Brennan and Russ didn't have enough money to put Elena in sports classes, but Elena liked to copy gymnastics girls and baseball boys in the playground. She was a very active child, but she could concentrate as well. As they were eating desserts, Hayley started coughing.

"Mommy, I can't breathe again," she said. The girl's words alarmed Brennan and she looked at Amy, who dug into her purse and produced an inhaler. Hayley knew how to handle it and she smiled after taking a few deep breaths.

"What's wrong with you?" Elena asked curiously. "Why can't you breathe?"

"My lungs don't work the way they should, but my inhaler helps me when my lungs are getting a bit slow," Hayley explained to her new friend.

Amy looked at them. "Her illness is under control," she reassured Temperance and Russ' father. "It's not easy, but we make do."

"Aha," Elena accepted her new friend's explanation and continued eating. "If you feel sick you can tell me. I can help," she told Hayley.

Brennan smiled at her daughter. She acted too much like an adult sometimes. It was good to have friends her own age. "If you ever need any help, just let me know," Brennan told Amy sympathetically.

"I will," Amy smiled. "I've had a wonderful time. We should be heading home, though. I feel more comfortable at home when it gets bad for Hayley. Thank you so much for having us here, Temperance."

"Officially, this is Russ's place," she smiled. "I'm really happy I've finally met you and your girls. I'd love to meet more often, if that's what you want, too."

"Yes, very much. I think the girls would enjoy that. I'm very happy that they seem to be getting along. As a matter of fact, why don't you all come over to my place for dinner next week?" Amy offered.

"We'd love that. Thanks. I hope Hayley feels better soon. Again, don't hesitate to call if there's anything we can do. And you can have Russ come over, of course, if you need him."

"Actually, if I have to be completely honest with you, I would like it if Russ could stay the night. Hayley is calmer when she's around Russ. Would you mind terribly? Would Elena mind? I don't want to take the only father figure she has," Amy added softly.

Russ wrapped his arm around Amy and kissed her cheek. "Do you mind, Temp? I mean, Elena is okay and it would be just for the night. I'll be back tomorrow." Russ hadn't spent the night at her apartment yet, because he felt he was needed here, but change was coming.

"Of course I don't mind. There's another little girl who needs you," Brennan smiled. "It's Sunday tomorrow, I'll be home. Just take all the time you need. If we need anything, we'll call Max," she assured them.

Russ released her and went to hug his sister. "I'm going to get the girls ready and explain to Elena that I won't be able to tuck her in tonight." Russ left and Amy hugged Brennan. "Thank you."

Elena had followed the conversation and jumped off her chair, running after her uncle. "Are you going to leave us?" she asked him, a slightly panicked look in her eyes.

Russ sat down on his knees and wrapped his arms around his niece. "Hayley doesn't feel well. You know how Mommy and I help you to feel better when you don't feel so good?" Elena nodded slowly and Russ gave her a smile. "I'm going with them, to make sure that Hayley is okay. I will be back tomorrow, princess."

"Do you have more princesses now?" Elena asked him quietly. She really liked her new friends, but she felt apprehensive about sharing her uncle.

"You're my only princess. Hayley is my little angel and Emma is my fairy. You can't be all three, right?" he asked the little girl patiently.

Elena looked at him for a long time before she had to admit that no, she couldn't. She found the situation very confusing and it didn't feel so good, but she knew she couldn't be bad because of it. Quietly, she gave him a kiss and ran out of the room, to her mommy.

Brennan was surprised at Elena's sudden clinginess. She lifted her daughter in her arms and held her tightly, kissing her dark curls. "We'll have a girls party tonight," she whispered in her daughter's ear. "It'll be fun, I promise."

Elena nodded and rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "You're all mine," Elena said. "Yes," Brennan agreed, "I'm all yours."

Russ was about to run after her, but his father stopped him. "She has to learn, Russ," he told his son quietly. "Just go, going back to see her will only make it worse."

Russ nodded and together they dressed the kids and left. Max went to find his girls and he sat down next to Temperance. "Are you okay, Elena?" he asked her as he caressed her curls.

As soon as Elena heard the door close, she knew her uncle had gone home with the other girls and she started to cry. It tore at Brennan's heart; this was such a difficult thing to accept for a young child. Her own eyes filled with tears as well. She didn't want her daughter to feel such sadness.

Max looked up at Temperance. "I'll stay." He pressed a kiss to both of their cheeks and he got up. "I'm going to fill the dishwasher."

"See? Grandpa Max will be staying just for you," Brennan told her daughter. Elena sniffed and tightened her grip around her mother's neck. "Thanks, Dad," Brennan said as her father started cleaning up. "You want me to read to you, sweetheart?" Brennan proposed.

Elena nodded eventually. "About Moby." Moby was a whale, Elena's favourite animal. Russ had bought her a stuffed animal whale which Elena slept with every night. The book she was referring to was Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Brennan sometimes doubted Elena understood the sometimes difficult language, but the rhythm of the words and vivid situations always calmed her daughter down. "I'll read Moby to you," Brennan promised and they went into Elena's room together.

Max watched them go. It was moments like these when he hoped that this Zorro bastard would clean up his act. Maybe he would make a decent father. Max shook his head, getting rid of all of that wishful thinking. Russ and he would make sure that Elena had a father figure and that Temperance had the support she needed. The father wasn't there, and that was fine. Because they had never needed him. Max sighed. The years were coming, though. The years with questions for his daughter and heartbreak for his granddaughter. He sighed worriedly and started filling the dishwasher.

That night, Max had taken Russ's bed and Brennan had allowed Elena to sleep in her bed. Brennan found it hard to fall asleep. The reality of the situation began to hit home; Russ wasn't Elena's dad and pretty soon, he would be to Amy's girls. He'd be expected to spend almost all of his time with them. He'd have to leave Elena, and there was no way to soften that blow. Elena didn't have a father. She couldn't claim rights on anyone to always be there for her, to be the most important person in their life. Brennan hoped that she could afford it to be there for her daughter like her daughter needed her to be. Elena was the greatest gift, the best thing that happened in her life, but it wasn't easy. Brennan gathered her sleeping little girl in her arms and pressed kisses to her hair and her soft skin. "I love you so much, my perfect Elena," she whispered. "I wish I could find a real father for you. You'll always be the most important person in my life. I love you more than anything in the entire universe. I promise you, you'll be happy." Brennan dried her tears and snuggled up against her daughter. This was everything.

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How do you like Brennan's little girl? Her life is about to change in more ways than one, and chapter 13 is the one you've been waiting for. Booth's on his way, and we'll check in with his progress next chapter. Stay with us!


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for your comments again! Now without further ado: Booth's back in town...

AN 2

First of all, we would like to apologize for the hacked up version of this chapter that has been available up until now.

And secondly, a major shout out to tazm1956, who made us realize that there was something dreadfully wrong with the content of the uploaded chapter. As you may notice, this chapter is longer and complete.

Enjoy the new and improved read and know that any and all of your thoughts are most welcome.

PS: Any grammar mistakes are my own, since my writing buddy who normally does this went to bed already and it is the middle of the night for me! Anyway, enjoy!

AN 3

Grammar has been fixed!

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**Chapter 12**

Angela was walking back home from class. She'd just finished her best painting to date. It was inspired by Brennan's pregnant body and Elena as a newborn and a one-year-old. It had helped her pass her class and she wanted to give it to her best friends. Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice called out her name. Her full name, first and last. Angela turned around and watched an attractive man, approximately her age, walk towards her. "Oh, hello," Angela said, a bit confused. "You know my name. What's yours?"

"Hi." Booth held out his hand. "My name is Seeley Booth. I have a few questions for you. Is there some place we can talk quietly?" He had described both his Captain and her best friend to a few of the senior students and even though very few people had recognised his Captain based on her description, he'd had more luck with her friend, Angela Montenegro. They had pointed him to the east side of the building and he had seen her when she exited said building.

Angela shook his hand but became a bit suspicious. "Talk about what? Am I in trouble? Are you CIA or something?"

"No, well, I am a cop, but you're not in trouble. Please, it's important." He had to convince her to talk to him. She was the only link to his Captain. He needed to talk to her.

"I don't know. Why can't you just ask me here? Do you have a badge or something?"

"I'm not here on official police business. See," he gestured to himself. "I'm not wearing a uniform." When she crossed her ams and raised an eyebrow, he sighed. "Look, it's about a party. Four years ago. A masked ball? You were there with a friend. I need to find her."

Angela's heart started beating fast and her palms turned sweaty. "What? Who are you? Who were you dressed as?"

"I already told you my name and profession, Angela. I was dressed as Zorro."

Angela nearly fainted. "Oh my god," she gasped and just caught her painting as it fell to the ground. The painting! He couldn't see it. "Follow me," she said curtly and stalked into the building. She took him up to her dorm room and put away her painting. "So, let's get a few things straight. You went to the masked ball four years ago?" When he opened his mouth to answer, she pointed to the bed so he'd sit down. "I just need yes or no."

He was taken aback by her curt demeanour and did as she wanted. He sat down on the bed. "Yes."

"You were dressed as Zorro."

"Yes. I already told you that. Why..."

"Shush! The girl you're looking for, what was she dressed as?"

"A captain. Or a pirate. I don't know what she was supposed to be. She had on a black skirt, a red top and a black and red mask. Do you know where she is? Or not?"

Angela clasped a hand over her mouth and shook her head. "You took her to your room and took her virginity, didn't you?" she asked, ignoring his questions.

Booth stood, having had enough of the accusations. "You weren't there. I didn't 'take' her virginity, we slept together, yes, but she didn't do anything she didn't want to. Where is she?"

"Sit down!" Angela ordered him threateningly. "Yes, I know where she is and no, I'm not going to take you there right now. You've done enough damage. Why did you disappear after sleeping with her? Why did you choose to hurt her like that?"

"Damage? What happened to her?" he demanded to know, refusing to sit back down.

Angela roughly pushed him back on her bed. "You asshole!" she shouted at him, angry and nervous tears threatening to spill. "You know what you did," she spoke angrily.

"No. I don't. I have no clue what you're talking about. I didn't rape her and I didn't hurt her. Furthermore, Angela," he practically hissed at her, "I did not choose to hurt her. The next morning she woke up before me and left, okay? She left me."

"What? That's your excuse? How do you think she felt after what she did? Proud that she let a guy she didn't even know, not even his name, take her virginity? Do you have any idea what her dad's like? He did exactly what she was afraid he would. You got her into so much trouble, you don't have any idea. You're such a selfish bastard for not even using any protection. And then you just disappear and leave her to take care of your problems. I can't believe where you got the nerve to come back now, after four years. I just -" She couldn't find any more words. "You have no clue, have you?"

"Will you listen to yourself? No, I have no clue, damn it! Like you said, I didn't know her. She's a big girl, Angela. She made the decision to sleep with me herself. And as far as not using protection goes, that is none of your business. I had my reasons."

"Oh, like how it feels so much better without a condom?" she retorted sarcastically.

"No," Booth snapped at her. "This is none of your business, Angela. I need her name."

"You don't get to ask questions here, Seeley Booth. If you ever want to find out anything about her, you'll answer mine. Why didn't you use protection?"

Realising he was trapped, he gave in. Maybe if he would just tell her, she'd give the name. "I asked her if she was on birth control. She said yes. She was a virgin and I had just been tested for STDs. We were both safe. So no, I didn't use a condom. Happy now?"

"You're lying. She wasn't on birth control. She told me you asked her if she wanted to use birth control and she said 'yes, of course'. You should have used a condom. She expected you to."

Reality grinded to a squeeky halt at her words. "What? No! I said... Oh my god..." The pieces of the puzzle clicked and his eyes widened. "She was pregnant?"

"No, no questions for you. Why are you here? Why? Why come back?"

"God damn it! That is none of your business! I want to talk to her! Not you. If you won't help me, I'll find her some other way!" Booth got up. "Maybe they will let me see the year books, if I ask nicely."

"No," Angela said stubbornly. "I have to protect my friend. Why are you here? What do you want from her?"

"I want a chance, that is all that I want." Booth approached her. "I still remember every single minute of that night." He took slow, determined steps, towering over her. "Every touch, every sigh and every moan. I had every intention of asking her out on a date with me. But she ran. Now, are you going to help me?" He took one more step towards her, bringing them toe to toe. "Or not?"

"Not yet. Why did you never come back? Why wait four years?" Angela wasn't intimidated. She would stand up for her friend.

"Okay, you know what? I've had enough of this. I've told you far more than you have any need to know and those reasons are really off limits. I'll find her, though. I moved back here. I don't care how long it takes. I will see her again. And if she has the same questions, I will answer to her. And her alone."

"Okay, fine, I won't tell you a thing. I don't trust you and you haven't given me any reason to. If you go to her, you'll hurt her. Not just her. And you won't get past the man she's living with right now, anyway, so... Goodbye, Seeley Booth." Angela walked over to the door and held it open, wanting him to leave.

He scrutinised her for a few moments and when she merely cocked her eyebrow and put out her hip, he walked over to her and slammed the door shut. He placed his hand against the plywood and looked her in the eye. "Fine, miss nosy-wants-to-know-it-all, as I was hurrying to get dressed - to give chase - I got a call from my brother. Our grandfather had had a stroke. The last four years were spent taking care of him. Is your sickening curiosity satisfied? Good. Now, give me her name."

His words got through to Angela, forcing her to see him differently. "I - can you give me some time to talk to her? To find out what she wants?"

"No. I will do that myself. Now, I have a few questions of my own. Was she pregnant?"

"I'm sorry, I really can't answer that. It's up to her if she wants you to know," Angela said, more softly this time.

"Fine. So, give me her name and address and I will find out for myself." Finally, he was getting somewhere.

"She's living with someone, now," Angela told him.

"God damn it!" He lost his temper and slammed his hand down on the door. This woman had forced him to show his hand, give intimate details about his life and still she refused to give him anything to go on. "I know you think I'm a selfish jerk, but if she had a baby - my baby - I have a right to talk to her. If I am a father, I have rights. So give me her name!"

Angela hesitated. "Temperance. Her name is Temperance."

"You're kidding me, right? Her full name, Angela Montenegro. I need her full name."

Angela closed her eyes for a few moments. There'd be enough time to call Russ before this man found out where she lived. Angela opened her eyes. "Temperance Brennan."

"Now was that so hard?" Booth asked her. He reached for the doorknob and gave her a smile. "I drive a black SUV." At her confused face, he added. "When you call her? You can tell her, so she can run from me again, or hide behind the man she's living with. I may not have been perfect, but tell me one last thing? Did she ever come looking for me, huh?" Her silence was enough of an answer for him. "I didn't think so. So, don't stand there and blame me for this whole mess. I wasn't the only creator of it."

As soon as the door closed, Angela grabbed her phone. "Russ? It's Elena's father. He's on his way."

Russ ended the phone call, slight panic rising in his stomach. He quickly thought of a plan and went into his sister's office, where she was focussed on graduating. "Temp? Amy just called, she invited you over for a playdate at the playground a block away. She'll be there in a few minutes. I said you and Elena would come. I'll go get her ready."

"Oh." Brennan was studying. She didn't feel she had time to go out to play after already having built a dollhouse with her daughter today, but if Amy and her girls were coming... she couldn't deny Elena her friends. She could sleep less tonight and study some more. Her daughter was more important. "Okay. Thanks," she smiled at her brother. She was tired, dead-tired sometimes, but she only had a few months to go. It would be fine. She delivered a baby; everything else should be like a walk in the park.

"Great, thanks. I'll help her get ready." Russ dialled Amy's phone and told her the same thing he had told his sister, namely that Amy and her girls had been invited by Temperance for a playdate. Luckily, Amy accepted and told him that she would be leaving right away. Russ stepped into Elena's room and told her the good news. Russ helped his niece get ready and by the time Elena had her shoes and jacket on, Temperance was ready as well.

"You're not coming?" Brennan asked her brother as Elena was jumping up and down next to her, holding her hand.

"Nope," Russ gave his girls a wide smile, "Someone has to make dinner, right? Go. Have fun, bond with Amy and you," he knelt in front of Elena, "my beautiful princess, can play with Emma and Hayley. Don't make Hayley run, though. Her lungs get tired quickly, remember?"

Elena nodded. "I'll look after her," she smiled wisely. "Come on, Mommy. I want to run and run and run!"

Brennan quickly hugged her brother goodbye and broke into a run with her daughter. This was still the best thing in the world, even after four years.

Now that they were gone, Russ could wait for his arrival. Elena's father. The bastard sure had nothing waiting for him here. And Russ was planning on making that clear to him.

* * *

So, Booth's back! And he's determined to find his Captain. On the other hand, Russ is determined to put a stop to Booth's plans. Who's going to win with Brennan and Elena sent away? Any guesses on how this is going to go down? We won't keep you waiting much longer!


	13. Chapter 13

Yes, people, here it finally is: the chapter in which Booth and Brennan meet again. Before you start reading, though, we'd like to point out again that the previous chapter was uploaded faulty. It took us a helpful review to realise what had happened, and we went back and made sure the chapter was posted correctly. A large part was missing, so, if you haven't, please go back and read chapter 12 again, to prevent any confusion about this one. Then, without further ado, we introduce you to chapter 13!

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**Chapter 13**

It had taken Booth just one phone call to get an address and he left immediately. All sorts of scenarios were running through his head, but he did his best to ignore them. After all, the only scenario he was interested in was the real one and he was going to find out what that entailed pretty soon. Booth parked his car in front of the right place. He took a deep breath, sent up a quick prayer asking for strength, guidance and patience and got out of the car.

As soon as Russ spotted the black SUV Angela had told him about, he got out of the house and waited for Elena's father with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Booth walked over to the man. This had to be the man Angela was talking about. He decided to cut to the chase. "Does Temperance Brennan live here?"

"She does. So do I. What do you want from her?"

Booth's heart skipped a beat. He was so close to her. "I want to talk to her. She's... an old friend of mine. Can I come in?"

"If she's your friend, then tell me something about her." Russ shrugged. "Anything." Russ looked at the man in front of him. Good-looking. In shape. Elena's eyes...

Booth's eyes narrowed. "Look, I don't know who you are, but I just want to talk to an old friend. Is she home or not?" God, what was it with people today?

"You're talking to Tempe's family, sir. I have her best interest in mind. Who are you? Why are you here?"

"I'm Seeley Booth. Like I said, I'm an old friend and I am here to talk to her."

"Listen, Seeley Booth. I protect her. She's not home right now. The two of us need to talk, first. I need to know who we're dealing with. You understand, right? Protecting your family?"

"Family? Who are you? What's your name?" Booth asked. He knew that it wasn't the smartest idea to go into this blindly, but this was the woman who had occupied his dreams for four years. He didn't have the patience to gather all of the information first. He wanted to see her. Talk to her. Explain.

"My name is Russ Brennan. I need to know what you want with my sister. Right now, she's hanging in there, but she has a lot on her mind. She'll be graduating in a few months, hopefully. You can't take that away from her; she's worked too hard," Russ tried to reason with this stranger.

"I am not here to take anything away from her. I just want to talk to her. Now, is she here or not?" Booth was starting to lose his patience and yet, he felt relieved. The man she was living with was her brother. Not her husband, not her lover. Her brother.

"She's not here right now, no. Listen. You don't know all that happened, but your showing up here out of the blue will cause a lot of emotional turmoil for my sister. I need you to be mindful of that. Is there any way you can prove to me that you're a decent man, despite sleeping with my sister and then disappearing on her?"

Again! What right did these people have to give him the third degree about disappearing? "I took care of my sick grandfather for four years. You want me to call him up, huh? Humiliate an old man by forcing him to admit that he needed my constant care and presence to recover from a stroke? Or do you want bank statements listing all of the pills he needs to use on a daily basis that I have provided him with trough the years? Or maybe you'd like to see the photos of my graduation at the police academy? Or my registry there? Where I studied during the day, so I could provide care, medication and housing for my grandfather?" Booth snapped, really starting to lose it.

Russ relaxed his stance a bit. Now he was being honest, Russ could tell. Russ gave the man a nod. Before he could say anything, though, he heard his sister's voice. 'No! Tempe! Not now!' he thought, but it was too late. She was here. He was here. They were both here.

Brennan had met Amy and her girls at the playground. The girls had been playing wonderfully together, and Brennan and Amy sat on a bench watching them and talking. Suddenly, Amy had mentioned what a wonderful idea it had been to meet here. Brennan said she thought it had been Amy's idea, but as it turned out, Russ had told Amy the opposite. Confused, Brennan had asked Amy to watch the girls so she could ask Russ what this was all about. She walked down the street and saw Russ standing outside their door, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He was talking to someone. A black SUV she'd never seen in their street before was parked behind the strange man. "Russ?" she asked her brother as she was still a small distance away from them. The strange man looked up at her, a look of devastation mixed with relief on his face. It scared her a little, it was as if she should know him.

Her voice. It was her. His Captain. Booth turned around to look. Just her. So she hadn't been pregnant. But then why would Angela have made those remarks? Probably to make sure he felt guilty enough.

"Mommy!"

Brennan turned around and Elena came running towards her. She caught her little girl. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Elena nodded. "Don't leave me, Mommy."

Brennan shook her head. "Never, honey." Brennan kissed Elena's cheek and took her hand. They turned back to Russ and the strange man. "What's going on, Russ?"

Booth had been about to take a step towards her when suddenly, a young girl - around four - came running around the corner. His Captain caught the little girl and kissed her cheek. He couldn't hear what they were saying. His heart started beating faster when the young girl looked at him. Familiar brown eyes. He swallowed. That was his daughter. The four-year-old girl he had never seen. Oh God...

Elena was watching the strange man. She could feel something important was going on, but she didn't understand what. "Mommy, who's that?" she asked and pointed at Booth.

A lump formed in his throat and it became harder to breathe. His own daughter. His little girl. The baby he had dreamed of, four years ago, and she didn't even know that he was her dad. He wanted to speak up, but realised that he was frozen.

"Temp, take her inside. I'll tell you later. He was just leaving," Russ cut in.

"Is he a bad man?" Elena asked her mother.

Brennan took a few steps forward, trying to remember his face. Elena was gripping her hand tightly. "Who are you?" Brennan asked. She felt she should remember him from somewhere. Russ looked pretty distressed.

"Temperance. Go inside. Please." Her brother was too late, though.

"Hey Captain," Booth spoke softly. "Long time no see. Four years to be exact."

Brennan turned pale. His voice... she recognised it. She was looking at her Zorro, Elena's father. Elena was looking at her father and she didn't have a clue. She resembled him so much. Brennan didn't know what to do. What would be best for her daughter? She didn't know. She took a shaky breath. "What's your name?" she asked him, her words barely a whisper.

"Seeley Booth." Booth had so much to say to her, but he couldn't find the words.

Russ watched his sister turn pale and he carefully, but determinedly, manoeuvred himself between them. "Come on, Temp. Let's get both of you inside, huh?"

Brennan continued to look at the man... Seeley Booth... her daughter's father. "Russ," she focussed on her brother, "I'm not feeling well. I - I don't know what to do." She couldn't handle the situation. Not with Elena here.

"Come on, let's go inside. He can come back later." When she didn't respond, Russ added softly, "Inside, Temp. Trust me."

Booth was still frozen. He had a daughter. One who was focussed on her mother and looking at him wearily, clearly distrustful of him.

Brennan thought about it. All she knew, was that Russ had been there for her all this time, and Zorro hadn't. "Should I ask for his phone number?" she whispered, her body feeling unstable, her heartbeat fluttering.

"No." Russ looked at the guy over his shoulder. "He knows where we live. Please do yourself and Elena a favour and get inside." Russ gave her a gentle push and then he turned back to this Booth person. "Next time, I expect a call." Russ handed him a business card. "If you come here again unannounced, I won't hesitate to call the cops." With that, Russ turned around and closed the door behind him.

Booth sighed as he clenched the note in his fingers, battling back tears. He didn't even know whether to be happy about it or give in to the grief and loss he was feeling.

Once inside, Brennan was completely distraught. She sat down on the couch, dropped her face in her hands and started to cry. She felt deep, deep grief, sadness, anger, confusion, and then a spark of excitement. But wasn't it all too late, now? Soon, she was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Elena, darling, please go to your room." Russ grabbed his phone and called Amy, asking her to come over. A few seconds later, the doorbell rang and Amy, Emma and Hayley entered. "Hey girls, you can go play with Elena in her bedroom."

Amy sent them on their way and then walked over to Temperance. "Russ what happened?" She wrapped a comforting arm around Temperance's shoulders as Russ sat down on her other side.

Elena had been watching her mother with big eyes. She knew her mother was crying because of the man outside, and it made her angry with the man. He shouldn't make her mommy cry! She was sent to her room, but then she was angry with Russ, too, because she didn't need to go to her room, she needed to comfort Mommy. Elena decided to find out for herself, and snuck back into the hallway, placing her finger against her lips to signal Emma and Hayley to be quiet. She opened te door and stepped outside to see if the man was still there.

Booth was in shock when the little girl peaked her head out of the door. He sank to his knees, so he was at her eye-level. "What's," he had to clear his throat before he could continue. "What's wrong, sweetie?" God, she was so beautiful. And she was his.

Immediately, Elena pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You! You're wrong! You made my mommy cry!" she said angrily, glaring at him. "You're bad."

"Mommy's crying? I'm sorry, sweetie, I didn't want to make your mommy cry." Booth spoke to her softly. She was a fierce little thing and reminded him of himself. His younger self, when he would protect his brother from their father. All of a sudden, it became too much and a tear rolled down his cheek. How had he turned into the one thing he never wanted to be? A bad father. Just as bad as his own had been.

"And now you're crying," Elena told him severely as she put her hands on her waist. "Are you sorry, mister?"

"Oh, you have no idea how much, little one. Why don't you go inside and let mommy know that I'm sorry." Booth stood and pushed the door open. "Russ!" He called out, knowing that the man would take his daughter inside, but he couldn't leave this little girl out on the street, in danger and vulnerable.

Russ got up and marched to the front door. He frowned when he found the man in the doorway, Elena in front of him, while Emma and Hayley were sitting on the stairs. "What's going on here, Elena?" he asked his niece, trusting her word more than Booth's.

"I'm angry because he made Mommy cry," Elena told her uncle. "But he says he's sorry and he even cried. I think we should let Mommy know that he's sorry."

"You can go tell her, princess. And you two," he turned to Emma and Hayley, should go to Elena's room. She'll come up to play." When the girls were all gone, Russ turned to Booth. "And you, have to leave. Now. You've done enough for one day."

Feeling numb and confused, emotionally exhausted, Booth nodded. "I am coming back, Russ," he promised the other man, then got into his car and drove off, once again distancing himself from the woman of his dreams.

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So this was it - they met again after four years. We hoped it wasn't what you expected it to be, because we aim to surprise! Now, the fact that we love reviews doesn't mean that we're cruel, because we couldn't stop writing at this point and you probably won't want to stop reading here. That's why we'll upload the next chapter today. (But we'd still appreciate the reviews on this all-important chapter!)


	14. Chapter 14

Have you recovered from the previous chapter yet? Well, let's continue with the aftermath!

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**Chapter 14**

Elena ran back inside. "Mommy! I talked to that man and he says he's sorry for making you cry," Elena couldn't wait to tell her mother. Brennan was still leaning forward on the couch, Amy's arm around her shoulders. She looked up at her little girl, took her in her arms and kissed her hair. "Good. Do you think he's nice?"

Elena thought about it. "I think so," she told her mother seriously.

Russ returned and went to sit down on the couch. "Princess, you know that you are not allowed to open the door without me or Mommy present and you are definitely not allowed to go outside alone."

"Yes, I know, but I was angry at that man. He made Mommy cry," Elena said defensively as she had her arms wrapped around her mother and gave her kisses.

"You stay inside unless Mommy or I or Grampa or Aunt Amy are with you. Now come on, Elena, why don't you go upstairs and play with Emma and Hayley. I'll take care of Mommy, huh?"

"How can I play when Mommy's sad?" Elena pointed out to her uncle as she didn't let go of her mother.

That made Brennan smile a little and she cuddled her daughter. "You make it all better, honey. It's okay, you can go play. Uncle Russ always says very nice things to me when I'm sad, too, so he can make me feel better. Go play, Elena. I'll be fine in a few moments." Brennan pressed a big kiss to her child's cheek. "I love you."

Elena kissed her back. "I love you, too, Mommy. I'll go play."

Amy got up to make them all a cup of coffee and Russ reached for his sister's hand. "Well, that was certainly a surprise. I didn't think he was ever going to come here. Did you recognise him? Anything?"

"Just his voice," Brennan said, "And then his eyes. They're Elena's." Brennan leaned into her brother and he held her. "I couldn't even think straight. I was really shocked. But - I let him go away again. What if he never comes back?" Tears sprung to her eyes once more.

"He'll be back. He told me. Besides, he already went and talked with Angela, too. She said something about him having moved back here. I don't think we've seen the last of him, Temp." Russ gently rubbed her back as she held onto him.

Brennan sniffed. "The problem is that Elena needs a dad, but I don't know her dad. I don't know if he's a good person, or a good father. But I can't keep him away from her, either. One day she'll want to know."

"I don't think it's a good idea to expose her to him as long as his intentions aren't clear. If it was just you, I'd tell you to have a cup of coffee with him and figure out what you both want, but we have to think about your little girl, too."

She nodded against his chest. "She's all that matters. I can't let her heart be broken. This is just really... the worst possible time. I'm really stressing about finals and now this. If I fail any of them, I won't be able to graduate." The amount of tears coming from her eyes reminded her of being pregnant again.

"Hey, hey, this can go on your pace. He took his sweet time, there is nothing wrong with making him wait a few more weeks." Russ didn't trust him. He could understand that Seeley Booth might have had to take care of his grandfather, but he could've searched for Temperance. He could've called. Anything. His girls were Russ's first priority, but he wasn't so sure they were Booth's first priority as well.

"Do you think he's a bad person? What's your first impression of him?" Brennan asked her brother, grateful that he'd forced her to go inside. At least now she could think things over.

"I asked him why it took him four years to come and find you. He told me that he's been taking care of his sick grandfather and that he was in the police academy, so that he could help provide medication, food and housing. I think he was genuine about that. I don't think he's a bad person, no. But that doesn't change that he hurt you and that you have the right to be upset about it."

Brennan sighed in relief. "Thanks, Russ." She was quiet for a few moments as she slowly calmed down. "I should meet with him, shouldn't I?"

"Only you can answer that, Temp. If you choose to meet him, I will support you. And if you decide you never want to see him again, I will do the same thing."

"Is this something you already know again? Like when I was going to have an abortion and you told me you knew I wouldn't go through with it?"

He gave her a sad smile. "Yes, it is and just like then, I can't tell you now. It has to be your choice, little one. You're in charge of your life and Elena's." Russ kissed her cheek. "After four years of being a single parent, you earned that right."

"Not really single, though," she said, "You were with me the entire time. I didn't feel like I was alone at all."

It was time for a harsh fact. "I was by your side and I will continue to be there, but I'm not Elena's father. And if he is a decent guy and if it's not his fault that he wasn't here, you might be able to work something out with him."

Brennan let his words sink in for a few moments. Hadn't Zorro... Seeley Booth showed up at exactly the right moment? When it would be getting harder for Russ to spend time with Elena and Elena needed someone who was hers? "I'll meet with him," she told her brother.

He gave her a knowing smile. "I know you will."

"I'll have to get it out of the way before finals," she added.

Russ nodded. "I agree. Why don't you go upstairs and play with your daughter? I think you can both use it."

Amy came in with beverages and cookies and Brennan gave her a hug. "I'm okay. I'm going to meet with him. I need to know who my daughter's father is."

Amy nodded. "I think that is very brave. It is best to know. For example, don't you want to know his medical background? She deserves all of that information. It's important. And you know, as far as what I've heard, he hasn't showed aggression. How was he with you when you slept together? Was he kind? Caring? Considerate?"

Brennan nodded. "He was." She didn't think this was something her brother wanted to hear, but she told Amy anyway.

"I'm going to check on the kids," Russ announced and made himself scarce.

Amy handed Brennan a cup of coffee. "Do you miss him? Have you missed him?"

"I've been trying not to think about him, but I dream about him. I think... I missed what I hoped we could have become."

"And what was that, Temperance?" Amy encouraged her.

"I always hoped I would meet someone who could accept me the way I am. At the time, I needed someone safe and strong. Things weren't going well between Max and me. I felt lonely back then, and with Zo - Seeley, I felt a connection. I don't know why I slept with him, I guess he was irresistible." She gave a mirthless chuckle.

Amy nodded understandingly. "Sounds like he was able to give you what you needed. Maybe he can do that again. For both you and Elena. If you don't give him a chance, how will you ever know? And besides that... it's been four years, Temperance, but he came back. That must mean something. Elena said that he was crying. Crying. Not fighting, yelling, screaming, threatening. Crying. I think he missed you and he came here to make it up to you. He just found more than he had probably anticipated."

"Yes, I have a pretty aggressive support system, apparently," Brennan chuckled in earnest this time. "Which I'm very grateful for. It's good that Russ took me out of the situation. Now that I have Elena, I must think things through. I reckon you experience the same feeling towards your girls."

"Yes. I don't think I would ever let their father near them, but that would be based on his past behaviour. What was Seeley's past behaviour? He took you to bed. He was kind and considerate. The only thing you can really hold against him, is that he didn't follow you when you left. And if this story about his grandfather is true... the question is whether or not you can blame him. And if I can give you my opinion... I don't think you should. Not yet anyway."

Brennan sighed. "I know. It's very complicated. There's just one thing I don't understand. He asked me that night about birth control. I told him yes, of course. I remember this exactly. He went into the bathroom, came back, applied something to himself and then we had sex. I keep wondering whether he actually put a condom on or not. If he tricked me into unsafe sex."

"The only one who knows is him. Hey," Amy suddenly got an idea, "Didn't Russ say that he had contacted Angela as well? Maybe she managed to get something out of him. She doesn't seem like the type of woman who wouldn't want a few answers before giving him your name or address."

Brennan frowned. "I hadn't thought of that. I should call her." She grabbed her phone and dialled Angela's number.

"Sweetie!" Angela exclaimed when her cell phone buzzed and she answered. "Is he there? Did he come by? Did he find you?"

"Yes, he came by. Russ was waiting for him, I was in the playground with Elena and Amy and her girls. We returned unexpectedly and, well, he saw Elena. She looks like him."

"Yes, I know. He came by. I'm sorry I gave him your name, but he wouldn't back down. Did you get a chance to talk to him?"

"Not yet, I was too shocked. I had a little meltdown but I've decided I want to meet with him. He doesn't seem like a bad person. What was your impression, Ange?"

"He seemed desperate to find you. He got riled up, but then again, I didn't do anything to prevent that. He told me about the reason why he had been gone for four years. He did react strangely when I asked him why he didn't use birth control."

Brennan's eyes met Amy's. Bingo. "What did he say about that? Did he say he used a condom?"

"No, the opposite. He admitted that he didn't use a condom. He said that he asked you if you were on birth control and that you said yes. He said that since you were a virgin and he had been given a clean bill of health, he didn't use one, on the assumption that you were on birth control. I told him that you weren't and then he mumbled something, but I couldn't understand his reaction."

"Oh my god," Brennan breathed. "That's it. That's where everything went wrong. I mean, not wrong, I love Elena, but - I've always wondered. I thought he was asking me about his birth control, not mine." Brennan sat down with a sigh. "What a mess."

"I agree with you on that. Other than that, he didn't seem like a bad guy. Plus, he spent four years taking care of his sick grandfather. That's dedication and commitment, sweetie. And he had another decent point, too."

"What? What else did he say?" Brennan was pulling the information from her best friend.

"He pointed out that he was aware of the fact that he hadn't come looking for you... but sweetie, you didn't go looking for him, either." Angela told her gently.

"I did, though," Brennan protested. "On campus. I went back to his dorm several times, until someone told me the guy who lived there moved out. Nobody knew where to. I didn't know his name. What else could I have done?"

"I don't know. Maybe you could have done what he did, try and find his friends. We could have gone to the landlord to ask him to give us the name of the previous tenant. We could've maybe tried a bit harder," Angela suggested carefully.

Brennan closed her eyes for a moment. "I was too confused and sick from my pregnancy at the time to really look for him that hard, but you're right; after things settled down I grew used to the idea that he'd disappeared. I never looked for him again." She felt bad. Was it her fault, now, too? It was a little hard to accept, though rationally, Angela did have a point.

"Sweetie, shouldn't you be discussing this with the man himself? Can I just..." Angela hesitated, "Can I give you a bit of advice?"

"Of course," Brennan said. If today hadn't been confusing yet, it certainly was, now.

"If you meet with him, meet somewhere public. Please don't forget that even though you had no intention of sleeping with him, you did. And giving into that again, would only complicate things further."

"Ange. I'm not sleeping with him again. I don't have his number or anything, but I'll look for it when I'm ready to speak with him. Thanks for the clarification, Ange. Can we have lunch tomorrow? Or are you busy?"

"Of course we can have lunch tomorrow. It's a date. Take care of yourself, sweetie. Elena needs you, don't forget that. I'll see you tomorrow at noon at our favourite lunch place, okay? Take care, sweetie."

"I will, you, too. Bye, Ange." Brennan hung up and looked at Amy, perplexed. "He wasn't asking about using a condom. He was asking whether I was on birth control." Brennan covered her forehead with her hand. "Everything that happened... because of a stupid misunderstanding."

Amy watched her end the conversation and wrapped her hand around Temperance's. "At least now you know what happened and how it happened. I still think you should let him explain it to you. Give him a chance. Now, I don't mean to pry, but you are still looking a bit pale. Why don't you get some rest? I'll stay here for a little while, so Emma and Hayley can play with Elena, distract her. Don't worry, they are in good hands."

Brennan squeezed Amy's hand. "My brother really has excellent taste in women. I'm so glad you and your girls are part of our family," she smiled at her. "I'll lie down for a bit. Please reassure Elena that I'm okay. If she wants to come down, I don't mind."

"I know you don't. And we won't keep her from you. I know how busy you are with your finals and this must have been quite the shock." Amy grabbed the blanket that was over the back of the couch and handed it to her sister in law. "You have to take care of yourself. After all, if you don't take care of yourself, how can you take care of your daughter?"

At that moment, Russ came down the stairs. He didn't comment on the scene in front of him, but instead, he gently took the blanket from his sister and kissed her cheek. "Good idea, little one." He waited until she lay down on the couch, then he tucked her in, just like he had done hundreds of times while she had been pregnant years ago. "Don't fight falling asleep, Temp, if you fall asleep, it means you need it." He kissed her temple and whispered the same reassuring mantra into her ear he'd tell her when they were kids. "You're safe, you're loved, you're home. Sweet dreams."

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So what are your thoughts on this chapter? Is Russ standing in the way of a reconciliation between Booth and Brennan or is he making sure they avoid a disaster? What about Angela, does she have a valid point? Should Brennan have looked for Booth harder? We'd love to hear from you! Next chapter will deal with how poor Booth's doing - ready to fight or ready to go back to his Pops? Please stay tuned!


	15. Chapter 15

Welcome back everyone! We hope you understand that in the previous chapters, people reacted harshly towards Booth because they didn't have all the information and all they know is how Brennan has struggled in the past years. We also hope you know, though, that they're all good people and they're coming around. This chapter will show you an example of that. Plus: progress between Booth and Brennan. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 15**

Booth was left standing in front of that door for a really long time. He just couldn't move. He knew that standing there wouldn't solve anything, but he couldn't stop thinking about that little girl. A beautiful, fiery, protective little four-year-old, wise beyond her years. Clearly Temperance - God, it was a weird privilige to finally call her by her name, even if it was just in his thoughts - had done a wonderful job. Temperance loved their daughter very much. Another tear rolled down his cheek and he finally found the strength to turn around. Because even though he finally knew his Captain's name, now he didn't know the name of his little girl. Slowly Booth walked over to his SUV, doubt starting to eat away at him. Why would Temperance need him? She'd been doing this for four years. She'd looked shell-shocked, confused as to why he would show up. She'd moved in with her brother - or he had moved in with her - that didn't matter. The fact of the matter was, that his daughter did have a father figure, a male rolemodel in her life. And from the looks of things, Russ wouldn't be willing to step aside to give him a chance to be a father and Temperance simply didn't seem interested. Not in him as a father or as a partner. Booth opened the door of his SUV, sat down and put the key in the ignition. Starting the engine, he placed his hands on the wheel as his daughter's word echoed in his ears. 'You're wrong! You made Mommy cry! You're bad! You're bad! You're bad! You're bad!' Her words were on a loop in his mind and he had to force himself to steer the car out of the parking space and back into town. He stopped in front of the first bar he came across and got out of his car. Tomorrow, he would leave and go back to live with his Pops... and then it hit him, he couldn't go back. His job was here, now, and he would have to stay, at least for the time being. He slammed his hand down on the steering wheel and got out of the car, as his daughter's words continued to haunt him. He walked into the bar and ordered a double whiskey. When the bartender gave him his glass, Booth told him to leave the bottle.

Angela had had weird dreams that night, about her best friend and this gorgeous stranger, who had actually turned out to be Elena's father. No wonder the little girl was so beautiful. She had to be, with parents like that. Angela did feel sorry for this Seeley Booth. He was clearly desperate. She filled a huge cup of coffee and started to walk across campus to her first class of the day. She didn't really need the lecture; she'd read a couple of books on the subject already, but she decided she could use the distraction. She walked past a homeless guy on a bench. Oh, wait, he wasn't homeless. He was on the phone. Which homeless guy had a phone, right? She was walking past him when she caught a few words of his conversation. 'Temperance.' She clearly heard him say her friend's name. She studied the back of his head and when he turned it slightly, she saw it was him. She waited until he finished his conversation, then sat down next to him. "Bad night?" Angela asked sympathetically.

Booth sighed deeply and looked up at the sky as if asking for divine help. "I don't think it's any of your business, Miss Montenegro," he snapped at her, wiping away his tears in embarrassment.

"Look, I may have reacted a little aggressively yesterday, but I was only looking out for my friend. Let's start over. I think you're a good guy, in the end. Brennan called me last night. She now knows she got pregnant over a simple misunderstanding. If you'll talk to me, I have a surprise for you. Of the good kind. Can we talk?"

Booth eyed her for a moment, but eventually nodded. She may be the only one willing to stand in his corner from the look of things. "Yeah, sure, we can talk."

"You saw her yesterday. What was that like? What went through your mind?" Angela was really, really curious.

"I missed her. It felt so good to see her again and her little girl - our little girl - she's such a fiery, loving soul, isn't she?" Booth's voice softened and he stared out in front of him for a little while. "I don't think it matters though," he continued. "We barely spoke and Russ told her to get inside, which she seemed all too happy to comply with. I told her I'd be back, but I'm not so sure anymore that's such a good idea, to force my way back into their lives. They," he had to force tears down again, "they seem happy." 'Without me,' he added bitterly in his mind. He hadn't been happy without her. And now that he knew he had a daughter, he wouldn't be able to be happy without both of them.

"You know what?" Angela felt for him. "I think it did matter. I admire that you came to look for her. And I know it matters to Brennan. Actually, you've come at the right time. Yes, Russ has been like a father to that little girl, but he met someone, and this someone has two little girls of her own. He won't be able to be in two places at the same time. That will be devastating to his niece. Who knows, perhaps you could soften the blow."

"So that's what role I will be assigned? The understudy of her uncle? Damn it, Angela! I am her father! I should have been the one, tucking her into bed, rocking her to sleep, catching her as she took her first steps. But I wasn't. He was! Do you really think that little Angel is going to accept me if I just become Russ's replacement?"

"That will depend on you, my friend," Angela told him. "I know it's hard, but if you do your best, and Bren does her best, that little girl will come running to you one day instead of to her uncle."

"I don't think so, Angela. She was there when I met her mother. Apparently, Temperance was crying, because she snuck back out of the house to tell me exactly what she thinks about me. And it wasn't good. Of course, it wasn't good, can you blame her? I made her mommy cry." Booth ran his hand over his face and shook his head.

"In the end, her mommy's all she has. She's a child, Seeley. Children adapt. Better than adults," Angela told him in a soft voice. "Brennan's been studying at home to be there for her, she's been home-schooling her. Did you know she can read?" Angela smiled. "If Brennan lets you meet her officially, I have a hint for you. Her favourite book's called Moby Dick. It's by Herman Melville."

"Do you know how hard it is to be in that situation, Angela? 'If Brennan lets you meet her officially.' She is my daughter, too! And she can be upset with me all she wants that I didn't try to find her, but she didn't try to find me, either. And it seems that - unlike me - she had important information to pass along."

"I know it's not fair, but life hasn't been all that fair to Bren, either. You both will have to leave that behind. She's someone who likes to move forward. We've all been more angry with you than she has. She was angry in the beginning, when she found out she was pregnant. Once she'd chosen to keep her baby, she accepted everything for what it was. Her dad was an asshole, but he came around. Russ was very, very angry. I couldn't believe you. But then, we were assuming you were aware she might get pregnant at the time, which we now know you weren't. Just know that Brennan hasn't been all that mad at you. She's thought about you often. And here's the surprise - she wants to meet with you to talk."

"She said that? You talked to her?" Well, that was a silly question, they were best friends, of course they had talked. "When?"

"Yesterday evening."

He nodded eagerly. "When can I meet her?"

"Not right now in any case. You look like hell," Angela remarked with her trademark subtlety. You'll have to come with me, first. Get you cleaned up. I'm meeting her for lunch at noon. I'll call her to see if she wants to meet with you instead. What do you say? Come with me?"

"I can just go home and freshen up," Booth suggested.

"No you can't, because noon is 45 minutes away and you don't live on campus," Angela smiled.

She had him there. "Okay," he agreed and got up. "I'll come with you, then." Didn't seem like he had much of a choice, but Booth realised it would be better if he simply got used to that. At least for a little while.

They walked to Angela's dorm and she ordered him to drink the coffee she hadn't touched yet. Inside, she ushered him into the shower and sprayed his clothes with freshener. "One more thing; Bren doesn't like alcoholics," she called into the bathroom.

Booth was busy drying his hair, a towel wrapped around his waist. He stepped out of the bathroom - it would be easier to talk if they were in the same room - and replied. "I'm not an alcoholic. That was just me, drinking my sorrows away. It's been years since I've had a hangover like this. Do you have any Tylenol or something like that?"

"Yes, but I also have something better. I'm a self-proclaimed expert in hangover treatment, so if you'll allow me, I can get you something. Won't be five minutes."

"Sure, I'm going to get dressed." Booth grabbed his clothes and walked back into the bathroom. He shut the door and quickly got dressed. He opened the door and called out to her, "Do you have a spare toothbrush?"

"Use your finger!" she replied before dialling Brennan's number to see if today was too soon. Her friend surprised her by greedily accepting. Angela told her to look nice but not too nice and hung up. "You've got a date, son," she told him. "Fifteen minutes. Here's your antidote," she said as she handed him the glass.

He emerged from the bathroom and eyed the concoction she handed him. He pinched his nose and drank it all at once. "Oh God," he coughed a few times, "That was vile, Angela."

She chuckled. "You'll thank me later. Here's a mint for your breath. Speaking about vile..."

"Yeah, yeah," he brushed her off and accepted the breath mint from her. "So, what did she say?"

"I might say she was eager to accept. She has important finals coming up and she can't afford to be an emotional wreck." Angela looked him over and adjusted his clothes. "There. It'll have to do. You ready?"

"Yes." He was less than enthusiastic though. "Uhm, these finals, how long before she has to take them? I mean, I can wait. I don't want this to be something to cross off of her list in a hurry."

Angela rolled her eyes. "She has them in two weeks. And you're not on any list to cross off. Don't act like that with her. This is your chance, make the most of it. Her first priority is her daughter, she needs to pass those finals for her. So she can graduate and get a job to provide, you know." They walked out of Angela's dorm, she locked the door behind them and they were on their way.

When they stopped in front of the diner, Booth put his hand over Angela's arm. "Thank you for helping me. There is just one thing I want to make clear – I am here to be myself. I'm not here to bully her into anything, but I'm not going to bend over backwards here, either. I have rights, too, as that little girl's father. That said, I'm just happy she agreed to meet me."

"Just be careful with her. She doesn't trust easily and she has reason not to. You're on her side, make that clear." With that last bit of advice, Angela pushed him inside.

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You probably thought that chapter 13 was the one you've been waiting for, but we think it's actually chapter 16, because there's a difference between seeing each other and actually talking to each other. We'd love to hear from you!


	16. Chapter 16

Thanks for your kind responses again! We really hope that this chapter will ease your minds. Let us know if it does!

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**Chapter 16**

Brennan was running a little bit late. Russ had had to go to the hospital with Hayley and Max was looking after Emma and Elena. She walked into the diner about five minutes late and looked around. Her heart was beating wildly inside her chest. She was nervous. Then, she spotted him. He was looking at her. She walked towards him and he rose. She had no idea how to greet him. They were alone again, for the first time in four years. When she took his outstretched hand, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. She blushed and it left no doubt as to whether her feelings for him could resurface. They sat down. "Thanks for coming," she told him a bit shyly.

He was getting nervous. What if she had changed her mind? What if she wasn't coming? The door opened and he looked up. The knots in his stomach loosened and he could breathe in relief. It was her. His Captain. His mouth went dry when she noticed him and approached him. He held out his hand and when she took it, he couldn't resist and leaned in for a gentle kiss on her cheek. His heart soared when she didn't pull away. They sat down and he gave her an encouraging smile. She was shy, he didn't remember her being shy. It was cute. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me instead of Angela for lunch. Do you want something to drink?"

"Tea," she replied. God, she didn't know how to do this. She had no idea what to say, where to start.

Booth ordered tea for her and another cup of coffee for him. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry." He looked into her eyes. "If I had known, if I had thought that there was any reason to suspect that you were pregnant, I would've come looking for you. Both of you." He swallowed. "I really am sorry."

She took a deep breath, let it go. "I hoped you'd say that. I believe you. I - I didn't look for you once things settled down because I was so focussed on my - our daughter."

"I can understand that you had a lot on your plate," he replied gently, glad that she acknowledged that he wasn't the only one to blame.

"It wasn't easy," she agreed. Their beverages arrived and Brennan stirred her tea.

"Can I... what's her name? Can you tell me?" Booth hated the despair lacing his voice, but it had plagued him all night long that he didn't even know his baby girl's name.

Brennan looked at him for a moment, read the desire in his eyes. "Elena. Elena Angela Brennan."

"Elena? Isn't that - in one of those Zorro movies - isn't that the name of his daughter?" Booth felt his heart skip a beat. She'd given him a link to his daughter, when she could've chosen any other name. That meant something.

She couldn't help but smile. "Clever, isn't it?" She shook her head. "The name suits her. I don't know where she gets it from, but she seems to have a sort of Spanish temperament."

"Well, we are both very passionate people, if I remember our night correctly," Booth smiled at her.

Brennan covered her face with her hand. "I don't know what got into me that night. I'm not usually like that. It only happened once, I can assure you."

"It doesn't matter if you had other men." Even though he had to admit to himself that it was quite the relief that she hadn't. "What matters is that we created a little girl that night. And I think," he leaned forward, "she should be our first priority."

"That's what I wanted to ask you. Do you want to be part of her life? What role would you take?"

"What role? Isn't that obvious? I'm her father." Booth leaned back again, feeling a bit insulted. "I know I haven't been here, but I'm here now."

"It's not that simple. Elena doesn't know you. She doesn't know anything about you. She can't go from not knowing you to you being her father in one day, just because you showed up. I mean - I don't mean to blame you for anything, but like you said, Elena is who matters most."

"I know that. And I agree that we have to take things slow and realise that she will not take to me immediately, but that's what I want. I want to be allowed to be her father. Will you let me?"

"If you have nothing but Elena's best interest at heart, then yes, if she'll let you."

"I have more than Elena's best interest at heart. That's why I came back."

Brennan felt her cheeks colour again and wished she wouldn't be so obvious. "Thank you," she nodded with a small smile. She felt special. He didn't know Elena existed; he'd come back for her. Even after four years, he came back for her. "I hope I won't disappoint after the trouble you went to."

"Darling, why would you? If we can be honest with each other, we'll figure this mess out and if things aren't meant to be then... well at least then we'll know. Look, I know you're probably hungry, but we have a lot to discuss. Very private things to discuss and I don't think this is the place to do it. I can't offer you much, but I can make you a sandwich at home."

He called her darling as if he had been for years. She didn't know him, but she liked him. She hoped Elena would, too, even though he made her mommy cry. "Okay," she agreed. "Though this time, I mean it when I say I won't sleep with you," she couldn't help but chuckle. "Angela threatened me, so it's serious."

He chuckled with her as he signed for the bill. "Oh I know, she can be scary when she wants to be."

They left together and Brennan almost prayed Angela wouldn't see them. She felt like a disobedient child. His house wasn't that far away from university. It was a small place, but nice. "You have a job here?" she asked him as she looked around.

"Yes. I'm a police officer." He guided her to the kitchen and started grabbing everything they needed to eat a sandwich for lunch.

"Is your grandfather doing well?" She watched him as he moved. He was strong, muscular, but precise.

"Yes. I take it Russ and/or Angela told you about that? I'm sorry," he stopped moving and looked up at her. "I wanted to tell you myself, but everybody was determined that you had to be protected from me."

"You can still tell me," she said.

"He was very ill. My brother and I feared that he wouldn't make a complete recovery." Booth grabbed everything and put it down on the table, inviting her to sit down as well. "But eventually, with a lot of care and attention, he recovered. He's living with my brother, now."

"It's noble of you to take care of him. You must have a very good relationship."

"He was like a father to me." Booth started to prepare lunch. "The reason why I asked you to come over, was because I think we need to talk about us. I agree that Elena is most important, so we can't expose her to a lot of confusion. It's irresponsible to introduce me as just a friend if we want more. Or to present me as a boyfriend when we're not sure we can make this work." He got up to heat water for her cup of tea. "What do you want?"

Brennan didn't need to think about that for a long time. "I want a father for Elena. Someone stable. It would be best if we were in a relationship, but that's something that has to grow if it can. I'd like for you to meet Elena without pressure. At her favourite playground, perhaps. We don't have to define our relationship for her, not yet. It's a bit overwhelming for me that you're here. I've been telling myself for years that I'd be a single mother, you disappeared and that was it."

"Why didn't you look for me? I mean, I understand that you were busy, but if you really wanted me to be a father for her, you could've found a way to find me. Like, you could've figured out whose apartment you spent the night in. I'm registered in the phone book. It's not like I was hiding from you."

"I wasn't just busy. Psychologically, I could barely keep it together. Russ was there. Angela was, too. Eventually, even my dad. But I'm Elena's mother. She's my responsibility. Every bit of energy or thought that didn't go into my studies, went to her. I got better at not thinking of you," she told him the truth. "It's only now that Russ will move away in the near future that I felt she needed a real father."

Wow. That was more than he had bargained for. Maybe there was no future for them at all. "I'm sorry that you got overwhelmed and happy that you had people around you." In that moment, Booth realised that if he hadn't gone looking for her, he never would've known. And besides the fact that it angered him, it also made him impossibly sad.

"Perhaps after I finished my master I would have looked for you." She heaved a sigh. "It's not a fairy tale, Seeley. It's reality and it's difficult."

"I know." They ate in silence for a few moments, neither knowing what to say. With each bite he took and each minute that the silence grew, so did his confidence. He had a sip of his coffee and held out his hand. Palm up, it rested on the table, an open, honest invitation.

When she noticed his gesture, she smiled at him and placed her hand in his. She'd been afraid that she'd scared him away, that he regretted coming. That perhaps she'd become too bitter. But despite everything, he offered her his hand. And just like four years earlier, her skin tingled where they touched.

"I came back, not knowing that we have a daughter. Which means that I came back for you. I know this sounds crazy, but I missed you. I thought about you almost every day. For four years. And I need to find out if I fell in love with an idea, with a night of passion, or ... if I fell in love with you."

His words sounded completely logical to her. "I guess you'll have to have patience, then. If you want, you can meet Elena tomorrow. Just as my friend at first, and if we become more than that she'll get to see it, too."

"Do you want that? To be more than the strangers with intimate knowledge of each other that we are now?" This was it. The question he needed an answer to the most, because where his daughter was concerned, he knew all he needed to know. She was willing to give him a chance to become the father he wanted to be. He just hoped she would give him a chance to prove he could be the partner he needed to be for her as well.

She nodded her head and felt him squeeze her hand. She squeezed back.

"I - uhm - I take it you should be heading home again? Angela told me you have finals coming up. I don't want to be a distraction. I know you worked very hard to get to this point."

"Yes, I probably should. If I fail any of them I won't be able to graduate early and get a job. I think that now that we've talked, I'll be able to focus a little bit at least."

Booth took a deep breath. "Look, if this is too much to handle, right now, I'm willing to back off. Until after your finals of course. I'm not going anywhere. You know where I live. I'll be here when you're ready."

"I'll make it work. Do you want to meet your daughter tomorrow? At the playground behind our house?"

"Yes." His response was immediate and heartfelt. "I want to see her and hopefully this time, she won't have any reason to get mad at me."

Brennan smiled. "She can get mad, I'm warning you. It's the last thing you want. But she told me you said you were sorry and she appreciated that. I don't think she's still mad at you."

"I certainly will do my very best not to make her mommy cry anymore." Booth stood and went to stand next to her.

Brennan rose as well. "We'll see you tomorrow then, after lunch. Let's say 12:30?"

"It's a date." Booth tenderly cupped her cheek in his palm as his other hand rested on her hip. "May I kiss you, Temperance?" he whispered as he held her gaze. He noticed the widening of her eyes, and stepped a bit closer, so their bodies were flush against one another.

"I promised Angela I wouldn't do this," she said breathlessly. Her body reacted to his in exactly the same way as four years ago. Her emotions flared up and she stepped away from his body, completely flushed. "I'm really sorry. Later. I have to go." She couldn't handle what she was feeling, a clash between what she felt and what she knew. "See you tomorrow," she said and left quickly.

Booth sank down on his couch with a deep sigh. He looked at the door she had vanished through. For the second time. Then again, he tilted his head to the side. Maybe it was for the best. Next time they would kiss, it would be because she understood all of the consequences and was okay with them. With renewed hope, he got up and started to clear the table. There was always tomorrow.

The rest of the day, Brennan studied. Her mind kept flashing back to the moment she'd almost kissed him and she had a hard time concentrating. At some point, Elena came into her study room carrying a glass of tea. She was taking tiny steps, her tongue between her lips as she walked without spilling anything.

"Thanks, honey. You're taking really good care of me," Brennan smiled. Elena nodded and once the tea was safely on the desk, she hopped onto her mother's lap. Brennan's arms went around her little girl and she kissed Elena's cheek. "You know who I met with today?" Elena shook her head, her dark curls brushing Brennan's face. "Do you remember the man who came here yesterday?"

Elena nodded. "The one who made you cry, Mommy?"

Brennan nodded. "Yes. Him. We were friends before you were born. I went to him to see if we could still be friends now."

Elena turned her head to look at her mother. "Was he nice?"

"Yes," Brennan told her. "We still like each other. He didn't know I had a little girl. He thinks you have a beautiful name and you're a really special girl. So, if you want, we can go to the playground tomorrow and he can come, too. What do you think?"

Elena shrugged. "Okay. But if he makes anybody cry, I'll tell him he should never come back. Ever," Elena emphasised with big eyes.

Brennan chuckled. "You do that, sweetheart. I'll invite him over to play, then."

Elena hopped off her mother's lap again. "I'm going to get my study books," she told Brennan wisely.

Brennan quickly made sure Elena's reading corner was nice and cozy before she went back to her work, sipping the tea her thoughtful little girl had brought her.

She'd be working well into the night that day, Elena asleep in her reading corner, an open book over her head. Hours later, Brennan awoke with cramp in her neck. She decided she should really get into bed. She stretched and gathered Elena in her arms. She kept her daughter with her during the night. She never slept better.

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Brennan put it correctly: this is not a fairy tale. It's reality and it's hard. Next chapter: Booth finally gets to meet his little girl. How will that work out? Will Elena accept him? We'd love to hear from you!


	17. Chapter 17

Dear readers, here's a huge chapter for you. Huge in the amount of words and the amount of action. We decided to post it all at once so there won't be any cliffhangers, sort of ^^. Get ready and enjoy!

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**Chapter 17**

Booth had got up early, and he hadn't had much sleep last night. After his lunch with Temperance, he went to a gym where he worked out, trying to get all of his ducks in a row. It hadn't really worked and so he went home. He'd been exhausted and went to bed early, which was the reason why he had woken up early. Not knowing what to do, feeling nervous and in desperate need of advice, he reached for his phone and dialled his grandfather's number.

"This is Hank. Shrimp? That you?"

"Yeah, Pops it's me. I'm sorry to call this early, I hope I didn't wake you up."

"I'm an early riser. Tell me, Shrimp, how are you feeling now?"

"Nervous," Booth told his grandfather with a sigh. "Angela found me right after I hung up with you yesterday. She managed to get Temperance to agree to have lunch with me. We came back to my place. I know my daughter's name. It's Elena Angela Brennan. Beautiful, don't you think?"

"Oh, Shrimp," Hank said, becoming a bit emotional. "What a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl. If you can get a picture of her, please send it. I still can't believe I'm a great-grandfather," Hank sniffed. "But let's get back to you, son. How did your lunch go? Does the Captain still like you?"

"I think she's scared to give into it and risk hurting our daughter, but I don't just want to be a father to Elena and not give a relationship with Temperace a try."

"You'll have to give her time, Shrimp. She sounds like a smart girl. Those are the most difficult ones to get, but once you've got them, they're amazing. The best kind of woman is a smart one who knows how to talk back to you, trust me. If you can get a picture with her, I'd love to see it, too. Please send her and Elena my very best regards. I'd love to meet them one day."

"I'll tell them. I'm still not sure they believe that I was with you the last four years, Pops. And that bugs me because I don't know how to prove it to her. And if only I could prove it, she would realise I'm not lying. I think it would do wonders if she knows I'm trustworthy."

"If there's anything I can do to help, put me on the table, son. Just let me warn you; it's taken you four years and I know you're eager to make up for lost time, but this is the moment your patience will truly be put to the test."

"I know, Pops, but we're making progress allready. I have a playdate with my daughter today."

"Oh, that's wonderful. That's really wonderful! I'll be thinking of you, Shrimp. What are you going to do together?"

"It's nothing special, we are meeting at a little playground around noon. I just hope that Elena will give me a chance." Booth felt really bad that he had made his little girl cry the previous time.

"She's a little girl," Hank mused, "I don't have a lot of experience with those. I'd have loved to get a little girl, but I was never that lucky. You are, though. It's up to you to report to me what little girls like and don't like."

Booth chuckled. "I'll let you know, Pops. I - can I ask you a question, Pops?"

"Anything, son."

"I don't want to give up on the possibility of becoming a couple, but I don't know if I should pursue that goal already."

"Just take it easy, son," Hank was quick to advise his grandson. "Go slowly. Do not overwhelm her. Smart women flee when they're overwhelmed."

"Thanks, Pops. That's good advice, actually. I won't rush her. Do you think I should take something with me for them?"

"Oh, yes, women love gifts. Just something else that occurred to me. You have to go with your gut for this, but I don't know if your Captain's going to take the initiative. You should give her opportunities that she can choose to take. I'm not sure about this, but it's something to consider."

"I... I asked her if I could kiss her last night, but she didn't take it."

"She fled? Then you overwhelmed her, Seeley."

"I know, Pops. What do you think I should take with me for them? I don't want to overwhelm her again."

"Do you know what they like?"

"I know that Elena likes Moby Dick, but I don't know how I can use that. I mean if she likes that, she must have the book already."

"You could get her a boat to re-enact the book, maybe. Oh, get Temperance something pirate-y or from Zorro. She might appreciate that."

"That is a great idea, Pops! I don't know what I can give her, though, do you have any ideas?"

"Don't you have action figures of those? Try a local toystore, see what inspiration you can get. A Zorro, female pirate and - I don't know what the little girl should be. Don't girls want to be princesses?"

"She certainly is mine. I think that might be a good idea. A pirate, a Zorro figurine and a little princess." Booth smiled, feeling a lot better. "Thanks, Pops. I have to go. I have to find a toystore!"

"Go, son, go! I'm so proud of you. Go get your family."

"Thanks, Pops. I'll do that. Hopefully, I'll have a picture for you in the afternoon."

"Don't rush them, I can wait. Just do what's best for you as a family. I'll be right here for you, son. I love you."

"I love you too, Pops. I'll talk to you tonight with an update. Bye, Pops." Booth disconnected the phone call and started getting ready.

A little before noon, Booth took a deep breath, then knocked on the door. He had a little bag with him with the gift for Elena and he had made an extra effort for Temperance. He was wearing the same cologne he'd had on that night and he had a bit of gel in his hair. He hadn't overdone it, but he was determined to look his best.

Brennan was surprised when she opened the door, as they'd agreed to meet at the playground. "Hey," she smiled. "We were just getting ready. Come in." Good thing Russ wasn't home, he probably wouldn't have approved of letting him in.

"Thanks. I know we agreed to meet at the playground, but I have a little gift for Elena and I didn't want it to get lost there."

"Elena?" Brennan called her little girl. "Mommy's friend is here. He brought you a gift. Isn't that nice?"

Elena came running, but remained standing behind her mother, peeking at the strange man who'd made her mommy cry.

"Oh, come on, you're not shy, Elena," Brennan chuckled as she gently pushed her daughter to stand in front of her. Elena turned back to her mother and raised her arms, asking to be picked up. Brennan settled her daughter on her hip. "Can you give him a hand and introduce yourself like we practised?"

Elena looked at her mother and nodded her head. She stuck out a hand towards Booth. "Hi, I'm Elena, nice to meet you," she spoke shyly.

"Hi Elena. I'm Seeley Booth. Nice to meet you. I brought a gift for you and your mother." He looked up at Temperance. "Maybe we can sit down on the couch?"

"Okay," Brennan said, "This way." They all sat down, Elena in her mother's lap. The little girl had a feeling this meeting was much more important than she'd been told, which is why she felt shy and wanted to stay close to her mother. She didn't know exactly what was going on. Wasn't it dangerous to take gifts from strangers?

Booth took out two wrapped gifts for his daughter. One was a stuffed animal, a whale to be precise, and the other was the toy boat. "Here," he handed both gifts to his daughter. "These are for you. I hope you'll like them."

Elena took the gifts and looked at her mom. Brennan nodded towards her and Elena heaved a small sigh because this was all very strange, then unwrapped the gifts. "I already have a whale," Elena whispered to her mother.

"Yes, but it's not the same one, is it? You could keep one in your bed and the other in your reading corner," Brennan suggested

Elena thought about that. "Okay," she said. "Thank you," she told Booth, then unwrapped the other gift. "It's a boat," she frowned.

Brennan got what Booth had meant the gifts to be. "Yes, it is! Just like in Moby Dick, see? You can now play what's in the book."

Elena's eyes lit up. "That's fun!" she smiled and pressed the toy whale to her chest. "Thank you again," she told Booth, and leaned back against her mother as she kept the toys close to her.

"I'm happy you like them," Booth smiled at her. He handed the second package to Temperance. He'd taken the figurines out of their packages. He'd taken a photo of all three together and had them put in a photo frame. The figurines were all wrapped as well. "Here. This is for you, but I suppose Elena can play with it, too."

Brennan unwrapped the first gift. It was a photo frame. In the picture were three figurines; Zorro, a female pirate and a little princess. She got its meaning immediately. Elena grabbed the frame and studied the picture with a suspicious frown on her face. "This is a weird gift," she decided. "I like mine better."

"It's a gift for your mom, Elena, but you know what. I promise that you'll understand it when you're older. And until you do, maybe your mom will let you play with the figurines."

Brennan unwrapped the second gift. It contained the figurines, and Elena grabbed Zorro. "You're captain Ahab," she told the toy. "This princess is me because uncle Russ says I'm his princess. Mommy, do you want to be a pirate lady?" Elena looked up at her mother.

"Sure, honey," Brennan agreed with a slight blush.

For a moment, Booth felt insanely jealous of Elena's uncle. Would she ever be his princess? He would practise patience though, just as his Pops had told him. If there was one thing he had, it was time.

"Thanks, Seeley," Brennan said. "You didn't have to, but we both like our gifts. Shall we go to the playground?"

"Please, call me Booth. I'm not very fond of my first name," he smiled at her, then he stood. "Yes, we should go. Ready Captain?"

Brennan gave him a look, but didn't say anything about it. "Her name's Mommy," Elena pointed out. Then, they all put on their coats and left the house.

"You know, you're right, Elena. For you, her name is Mommy. But she's not my mommy, so I have to say something else, don't I?" Booth looked at his little girl as they walked to the playground around the corner.

"Okay, but why do you call her Captain? She's not a captain. Aheb's a captain."

"To me, she is. Your mom is very special to me." They arrived at the playground. "What do you want to do first?" Booth asked Elena.

"I usually run around for a bit," Elena told him seriously. "Then the swings to catch my breath. Then I do the slide almost a hundred times. But it's actually eleven, because Mommy taught me how to count. I make pies in the sand."

"Whoaw, well," Booth clapped his hands. "Will you play tag with me?"

Elena looked at her mom. "Can I, Mommy? Is he a stranger?"

Brennan kissed the top of her head. "You're a good girl, Elena. Yes, you can play with him, he's not a stranger because he's Mommy's friend. But it's good that you asked. Well done."

Elena looked at Booth. "I can play with you but I mostly play alone."

"I would like to play with you. You can start. Catch me if you can!" Booth teased her and slowly ran away from her, making sure she could catch him.

Elena heaved her small sigh again and started to run after him. Brennan sat down on one of the benches.

Booth let Elena catch him every time and found that he had to try hard to tag her. Not only was his daughter fast, she was flexible and surprised him by changing direction at the very last moment. He was happy when she finally ran towards the swingset.

Elena's cheeks were flushed from the exercise and she started swinging higher and higher and higher.

Meanwhile, Brennan watched them play. Her daughter had difficulty playing with someone else. She was so good at entertaining herself it had become hard to share the experience. She wasn't really initiating any play with Booth, but accepted it when he offered. Booth was obviously making an effort. He'd find it would be hard to get into Elena's little heart. It was his first test.

Booth was standing behind Elena, helping her to swing higher and higher still. She didn't seek out his company, but when he helped her, she didn't protest, either, and for that, Booth was grateful. He didn't really talk to her. She was quiet and he didn't want to interrogate the little girl. Today was all about leaving a good second impression.

"Stop, stop!" Elena shouted. When she was halted, she hopped off the swing. "Time for the slide," she announced and was on her way.

Booth followed her and sat down on the sand in front of the slide, waiting for her.

Elena saw him wait for her and didn't know if she wanted to go in the slide. She looked at her mother, who nodded, and she took her breath. Eventually, she went down the slide.

Booth caught her and even though his first instinct was to hold onto her and never ever let his little girl go again, he released her instantly, not holding her any longer than necessary. He'd been observing her behaviour and he noticed that she was very solitary and he could see she was exactly like her mother in that aspect.

"Now you go," Elena told her mommy's friend and pointed at the slide.

It wasn't specifically a children's slide, but he hesitated. He decided to see how comfortable she was with him. "I don't know... Will you come with me?"

"You don't have to be scared. Nothing can happen," she told him and started climbing up the apparatus. She made sure he was following her and went first. "See? Nothing bad happened. You can do it, too."

He followed her down the slide and once he was sitting at the bottom of the slide, he smiled at her. "Hey! It worked!" He held his arms open for a hug. It was an automatic response, and he realised a second after that it might be a step too far.

Just when Booth was about to lower his arms and pretend like nothing happened, Elena stepped forward and quickly hugged him, then patted his shoulder. "Well done. Were you scared?"

"It's been a long time since I did that. So maybe I was a little scared. Thank you for helping me. Maybe Mommy wants to play too, huh?"

As Brennan watched her daughter, really studied her, she felt sad for her little girl. She was acting like a grown-up, not like a child. She hadn't had a normal childhood so far. Brennan felt that she'd raised Elena to survive on her own, but that wasn't good for her. There she was, playing with her dad, and she was barely connecting with him. Brennan knew that she herself needed to change, to set the right example for her daughter.

Elena glanced at her mother. "Mommy doesn't play. She reads to me."

"Well, why don't we go ask her." Booth held out his hand to the little girl and waited patiently for her to take it.

Elena rolled her eyes secretly and took his hand. She was not a baby. She didn't need to hold someone's hand in the playground. Mommy told her that. Anyway, he was an adult and Mommy's friend, so she took his hand and went with him.

"Would you like to play on the slide with us, Captain?" Booth asked Brennan as they approached her. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't exactly warm either, some moving would warm her up. He frowned. She looked tired. "If you're tired we can go back if you want," Booth suggested.

Brennan shook her head. "It's okay, we can stay for a bit more. Elena still has to make me some sand cookies."

At the man's words, Elena looked at her mother. "Are you tired, Mommy? Are you sick? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Brennan smiled at her daughter. "No, silly. We both studied until late last night, didn't we? That's why I'm a bit tired. But you can play, you don't have to worry about me, okay?"

Elena looked over her shoulder at the sand box. "I can make sand pies tomorrow," she said.

"No, honey, make them today. They're so pretty and delicious; you have to show Booth," Brennan encouraged her daughter.

Elena hesitated. "All right." She took Booth's hand again and dragged him along. "I'll show you quickly how to do it."

Booth agreed. He felt guilty for dragging his Captain away from her textbooks. "I have an idea," Booth told Elena as they sat down in the sandbox. "After you've shown me how to make sand pies, we can take Mommy back home and we can bake your mommy some real cookies. And we can make hot chocolate milk for all of us. Does Mommy like that? Hot chocolate?"

Elena nodded and smiled at him for the first time. "Yes. We have to make Mommy feel better."

"Yes," he agreed wholeheartedly with his daughter. "We have to make Mommy feel better." Once she had shown him two sand pies, which she hadn't done her best for, Booth stood and patted the sand off of his jeans. "Come on, we'll go tell Mommy what we want to do next. Do you like hot chocolate too, Elena?"

"I love it!" she exclaimed with a dramatic jump, the way four-year-olds express enthusiasm.

Booth grinned. Finally, something he had in common with his little girl. "I love hot chocolate, too. I used to make it for my grandfather all the time. I'll show you how to do it." They walked over to Brennan and he gave her a broad smile. "Captain! We are going back home. Elena and I have a surprise for you in store."

"My name's not actually Captain. You know that, right?" Brennan asked him, though she couldn't suppress a smile.

Elena took her mother's hand. "Let's go home. We did everything."

Booth was a bit surprised and concerned by the little girl's last statement. "Do you always do the same things at the playground, sweetie?"

"Mostly," she replied. "Unless Emma and Hayley are here, too. Then we play together and we do different things."

"That's good." They walked back home and to Booth's relief, Russ hadn't returned yet. "Now," Booth clapped his hands again, "Elena and I are going to make cookies and hot chocolate. You can assist or just enjoy the show from the couch." It was an open kitchen, so they'd still be together. "Would that be okay?"

"As long as you're having fun. Elena? Just have fun, sweetheart," Brennan told her daughter.

Elena made a little jump. "Okay, Mommy. You can rest. We'll give you delicious things. Right?" She looked up at Booth.

"Yes. Delicious cookies and very tasty hot chocolate," Booth promised her. "Do you have an apron to wear, sweetie?"

"I have a small one," Elena told him. "You can wear Mommy's."

"I will," he agreed. Elena went to fetch both aprons and Booth helped her put it on. "Okay! Now, I need your help, Elena. If I tell you what I need, can you point me to the right cupboard?"

"I'll try," she said. "Lie down, Mommy."

Brennan took off her shoes and did as her daughter asked. Elena took the blanket from the other end of the couch and covered her mother with it. She also gave her mom a big kiss. "When you wake up, we'll have a lot of chocolate."

Booth watched the interaction and wondered if Russ knew how much Elena had to step up to be there for her mom. She was just four and yet, he had only seen her behave as a kid once today. He was going to do everything he could to make that better, though. He didn't doubt that Russ had provided for his Captain and their daughter, but he knew that nobody could love them like he could.

For some reason, Brennan was really seeing her daughter, now. What she did, the way she acted. It was worrisome, and she hoped Booth wouldn't think she'd been a bad mother.

Booth approached them and put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I bet that your mom is really proud of you, sweetie. You're a wonderful, sweet girl. Why don't we let Mommy sleep for a little while?"

Elena gave her mother another kiss. "Sweet dreams, Mommy." Then, they went into the kitchen.

Booth lowered his voice as he lifted Elena to sit on the kitchen table. "We have to whisper from now on, so we don't disturb Mommy, okay?"

"Okay," Elena nodded. "I don't normally sit here," she whispered.

"Are you sure you won't fall off? 'Cause I don't want you to hurt yourself. It's okay for once though," Booth reassured her.

"I won't fall," Elena assured him, and started swinging her legs back and forth.

"Good girl," Booth praised her. Then, he started calling off the list of items he needed to bake cookies and she quietly pointed him in the right direction. "Do you do this with Mommy or uncle Russ sometimes?"

"Yes, we sometimes bake real pies instead of sand ones."

"And do you like that? I love cookies," Booth whispered with a smile.

"It's a lot of fun," Elena smiled back at him. He had funny eyes. They weren't like Mommy's, but more like her own.

Together they made the dough and formed the cookies. Then Booth put them in the oven. "Now, we have to clean up. Do you know where Mommy keeps the detergent? You know, the stuff she puts in the water to do the dishes."

"Oh, yes." Elena pointed to another cupboard. "I know where everything is," she chuckled. "I can remember all the things I see."

"That's very good," he told her. Booth started washing the dishes. "Did you have fun today?"

"M-hm," Elena sing-songed as she grabbed a towel, ready to help him. "Why didn't you and Mommy stay friends?"

"My grandfather lives very far from here. He got sick and I had to help him. Darling, you can put the towel down, you don't have to help me."

"I want to help, too," she told him, leaving no room for discussion. "I have a grandfather. He's called Grampa Max."

"Isn't there anything else you want to do, rather than help? I can do this, sweetie. Wouldn't you rather be playing with your boat and Moby and Captain Ahab and the others?"

"No, I like drying. If I drop something and it breaks, it's okay. No one will be mad," she recited what her uncle told her. "I like doing lots of different things, like drying. It's really important and I can do it."

Booth tried a different tactic. "Why don't you go wake up Mommy?"

Elena gave him an angry look. She threw down the towel and walked into the living room, where she crawled underneath the blanket with her mom. "Mommy, wake up," she sang sweetly. When her mother opened her eyes, Elena told her quickly, "He won't let me dry. It makes me angry."

Brennan couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, honey. It's okay. He's new, so he doesn't know how things work yet. We have to be patient with him. Can you do that? Did you have fun otherwise?"

Elena nodded. "It was fun. We made a mess."

Brennan had to laugh again. "Good. It's okay to make a mess sometimes. So where's all this chocolate you promised me?"

Elena glanced over to the kitchen. "It's over there. I want to cuddle with you."

Brennan wrapped her arms around her little girl and inhaled her unique, wonderful scent. She kissed her daughter's cheeks. "I love you, sweetheart."

Elena smiled and kissed her mother's nose. "I love you, Mommy."

Meanwhile, Booth, who was feeling like he had overstayed his welcome, made the hot chocolate he had promised, but he made just enough for two. He poured the warm, soothing liquid into two cups and put them on a tray he had found. He added a plate of freshly baked cookies and walked back into the living room. "I have to get going, but," he gestured to the tray, "I hope you will enjoy these."

Brennan sat upright. "You have to go? We could have enjoyed this together. You're welcome to stay if you want."

But Booth shook his head. "That's very kind, but I think it's time for me to go. I had a wonderful afternoon. We should do this again soon." He had overheard Elena say that she wanted to cuddle with her mother and that she was angry with him, Booth didn't want to overwhelm either one of them.

"Thanks so much for coming over," Brennan said honestly, stood, and gave him a hug. She briefly closed her eyes, getting that sense of calm and safety again. "Elena, let's say goodbye. Would you like Booth to come over another time?"

Elena nodded. "I'm sorry I threw the towel." She gave him a hug, too.

"That's okay, sweetie." Booth hugged his daughter and kissed the top of her head. He gave them a smile and looked at Brennan. "Walk me out, Captain?"

For some reason she felt as if she was being called to the principal's office. "You should try the cookies, Elena, make sure they're good," Brennan told her daughter before walking into the hall with Booth.

"Thank you for giving me this chance. I really enjoyed our time together." He put his coat on. "If you ever need someone to come help you, please don't hesitate to contact me."

Brennan suddenly felt a lump in her throat. "I don't think I've been a very good mother to her," she whispered.

"Hey," Booth whispered soothingly and took a step towards her. "Of course you've been a good mother. You have raised her into a perfectly well-mannered, polite, delightful little girl to be around. You are a good mother to her."

Brennan took a shaky breath. "She's not social. She doesn't act her age. She's too wise, she follows my patterns too much. I don't want her to feel restrained."

"I don't think she feels restrained." Booth gently embraced her and smiled at her. "She loves her mother and will do whatever she can to help you. Why don't you just call me next time you two are alone and I'll come over to help you if you need help and otherwise we can all spend time together? How does that sound, darling?"

She wasn't sure she agreed with him calling her that, but she didn't have the energy to argue. She took a deep breath and nodded her head.

"Come here," Booth simply held her to him for a moment. "Don't doubt yourself. You haven't had an easy four years. And from what I can see, you've been doing a great job. I'm very proud of you," he confided to her.

"Thanks," she said as she held him, too. That scent... so familiar. "I just want her to be happy and care-free, but I know she worries. She understands too much of what's going on."

"She's a smart kid," Booth reassured her. "Besides, we'll focus on playing games and keeping things easy around her." He kissed her temple and stepped back. "Will you go out on a date with me? After your finals, I mean?"

"I don't like to leave Elena, but I'd like to do that. I think we should."

Booth nodded. "Me, too. Will you call me when you need me?"

She shook her head, smiling. "I don't have your number."

Booth dug into his pocket and got out an old parking ticket and a pen. He wrote down his phone number. "Here, you can contact me on that number at any time." He looked into her eyes. "Any time, Captain."

"You're really going to keep calling me that?" she laughed as she took the piece of paper.

"Yes. 'Cause that's what you are. My Captain." He smiled at her. "I hope to see both of you again, very soon." Booth was interrupted when he was about to thank her again for having him over when the front door opened. "Russ."

Russ frowned. "You. What in the world is he doing here, Temp?"

"I set a playdate with Elena so she could meet Booth," Brennan told her brother. "We'll talk about it later, okay? Is Hayley doing all right?"

"Actually no, she's not." Hayley had been transferred to the hospital and Russ had only come by to pick up some clothes and personal items. "I thought this playdate was at the playground."

"It was, but I was tired and we went home. Elena made cookies and hot chocolate with Booth." Brennan could clearly see her brother was distressed. "Booth, thanks for today. I'll give you a call."

"Yeah sure," Booth gave her a last smile and called out. "Bye, bye Elena!" When she shouted a goodbye back, he left.

"Really, Temp?" Russ asked her as he pulled his coat off and walked inside.

"Russ, I'm sorry. I realise this is very ill-timed." She followed him. "Please sit down and have some hot chocolate and a cookie. Is there anything I can do?"

"No. I don't have time for cookies, Temp. Hayley is in the hospital. I'm going back. I only came over to get some clothes, a toothbrush and my shaving kit."

"Let me get it for you. Just eat something," she told him and disappeared into her brother's bedroom, feeling very guilty. What was she doing? Russ had given up his life for her, and she was taking home the man he loathed to play with his niece. She shook her head.

"Uncle Russ?" Elena asked him, "Please have a cookie?" She held one out to him.

"Thank you, sweetie." Russ accepted the cookie, took a bite and put it down again. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a few bottles of soda.

Elena hopped off the couch and followed her favourite uncle. "Are you going to see Emma and Hayley? Can I come?"

"No, sweetie. You can't come. Hayley doesn't feel good. You have to stay home here, with Mommy." Russ was preoccupied as he tried to think of anything else that they could use at the hospital.

"But can you put me in bed tonight?" Elena tried again as she followed Russ on his heels.

"No, sweetheart, Mommy can put you in bed tonight. I have to get back to Amy and the girls right now. Temp? Are you done yet?"

Brennan emerged from Russ's bedroom with a small suitcase. "I think I've got everything you might need. Russ, I'm really sorry about what happened just now. I promise you it won't happen again without you knowing. Call me if there's anything I can do, okay?"

"I will." He took his suitcase from her and kissed his sister's cheek. He walked over to Elena and kissed her cheek, too. "Be a good girl for Mommy, okay?" Then he stood and left his home, locking the door behind him. Russ shook his head. One playdate and she was already letting him in the house.

Elena ran over to the window and climbed onto the stool that was there just for her. She waved at her uncle as he left, but he didn't wave back. He didn't even see her.

Brennan approached her daughter and lifted her in her arms. "Uncle Russ is acting weird because he's sad that Hayley's sick, honey," she told her hurt daughter. "That doesn't mean you're not his princess. He'll come back to play with you when Hayley's feeling better," she tried to explain.

Elena clung to her mother and was too hurt to cry. She experienced the worst feeling, like she was all alone and uncle Russ didn't love her anymore.

Brennan pressed kisses to her daughter's soft skin. "You know you're my most important person, right?"

Elena just clung to her more tightly, and Brennan sighed. What kind of situation had she put her daughter into? It was hurting her deeply. Brennan needed to find a way to make sure her daughter wouldn't feel left out in the end. If only she could convince Russ that Booth might actually be a positive thing for Elena...

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So, a lot going on in this chapter. Your thoughts are always welcome. Sometimes, certain things are pointed out in the reviews that we weren't even aware of, but that are actually great insights! Thanks for that, and please tell us more about what you think/feel about this story.


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks for all your wonderful words again, they really make our day! (So keep them coming ^^.) On with the story, here's some angst for you...

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**Chapter 18**

Brennan hadn't called Booth after the playdate. She decided she shouldn't give Russ any more reasons to worry, and Booth was simply someone Russ didn't trust. Brennan divided her time as best as she could. She'd lost study hours because she'd been getting to know her Zorro. Now, she tried to catch up as much as she could without completely neglecting herself. Luckily, Max was able to come during the day for a week because he'd been allowed to take time off his job. Max took Elena to all the playgrounds he could find, he tried to take over some home-schooling, fed her, cooked for all of them, and at the end of the day helped put Elena in bed. Elena had been quiet, Brennan knew that Russ not waving at her had hurt her deeply. Also, Russ barely had time to get on the phone with her, and when he did, she kept asking him to come back and kiss her goodnight, and he kept disappointing her. It was obvious Elena felt abandoned by her uncle, and she became withdrawn and unhappy. Brennan let her daughter sleep with her in her bed every night, just so they could spend that time together and Brennan could make sure their connection wouldn't deteriorate. She kept telling herself that she'd make up for everything after her finals.

Four days before finals, Max called with bad news. He'd tripped at work and tore 'stuff' in his ankle. He wouldn't be able to leave the house for a week. Brennan offered to bring him groceries and cook for him, but Max immediately declined. He had a nice lady friend living next door, and she'd already set him up with pies and meals for a month.

Brennan knew her finals were so important for them as a family, but she couldn't prepare for them at any cost. Definitely not at Elena's cost. So, she started taking her books to the playground, she read to Elena and tried to cook all her favourite meals. They went to bed at the same time so Elena wouldn't fall asleep alone, and then Brennan would sneak out to study some more. She was beyond exhausted, but she could manage because she needed to stay strong for her daughter.

Two days before finals, they received a call from Booth. He said he didn't mean to bother her or impose on anything, but a series of burglaries was happening in Brennan's neighbourhood and Booth offered to stay with them until the burglars were caught. Brennan thanked him for the offer and called Russ, who basically exploded at the mere mention of Booth's name. It was obvious Russ was running on his final reserves as well, and Brennan nearly cried as she told Booth he couldn't come. Meanwhile, Elena had been crying a lot, too. She didn't want to speak to Russ on the phone anymore, but she missed him terribly. Brennan could hardly concentrate on her materials for finals anymore, and she was growing desperate. Just two more days, she told herself. She'd told herself that finishing top of her class didn't matter anymore, as long as she wouldn't fail.

On the last day before finals, Brennan was walking around like a ghost, and Elena wasn't doing much better. She sensed her mother's stress and combined with her broken heart, it made her not want to do anything anymore aside from sitting in her mother's lap or lying down with her. She was basically physically attached to Brennan. That night, Brennan decided to take some rest before her finals which would start the next day. She had hot chocolate with Elena before going to bed, and read Moby Dick to her. They were both asleep by 8PM.

Driving through the neighbourhood - her neighbourhood - for the fourth time that night, Booth was worried about Temperance and Elena. When she hadn't immediately turned his offer down to stay with her, he'd had good hopes that she would actually let him in. He knew that her finals were coming closer and he had been able to hear the strain in her voice when she'd called back to decline his offer. So, here he was, doing the next best thing. He was familiar with the burglar's MO. The crook would sneak in after 2 AM, so Booth had gone home around 5 PM, went straight to bed and had got up around midnight.

For two hours, Booth had been patrolling the neighbourhood. He'd had some trouble to square it with his commanding officer, but eventually they found a solution. Booth had been given authorisation to keep an eye on conspicuous individuals. That way, when calls of concerned civilians came in, the dispatcher would be able to reassure them there was a police officer monitoring their neighbourhood. Booth slowed down when he drove past their house. His family's house. Booth inspected the windows and the doors and immediately he parked the car. The door looked different this time. Deciding that he would rather be safe than sorry, Booth parked his car and got out. He inspected the door more closely and when he felt it give way as he placed his hand on it, he reached for his gun. Silently, Booth snuck into the house. He secured the ground floor, noticing the TV, the computer, the DVD player... anything and everything of obvious value was still in the house. Once he was certain that the thief wasn't downstairs, he headed upstairs. Right away he noticed that all of the doors were closed. Except for one. He stopped in front of it and listened. At first he didn't hear anything, but then he heard something that sounded like the rustling of blankets. He couldn't be sure, but he went with his training. He kicked the door open, turned the lights on and pointed his gun at the burglar. He was standing over Temperance and Elena, the duvet still clutched in his hand. "Put the knife down and step away from the bed. Now." Booth ordered the other man in a deep, threatening voice.

Brennan awoke with a jolt of adrenaline. Before trying to see what was going on, she grabbed Elena and used her body to protect her daughter. When she looked over her shoulder, her eyes widened and her heart started beating incredibly fast. A man wearing a balaclava was standing over them, a large knife in his hand. Then, Brennan's eyes shot to the other side of the room, where a figure was standing in the doorway, pointing a gun at the intruder. Elena had woken up as well and remained quiet, her eyes filled with fear.

"I won't say it again," Booth barked as he took a step closer. "Put the knife down and step away from the bed." He held eye contact with the burglar as the blood rushed through his body. He was enraged and could have shot the piece of scum on the spot. When the burglar finally did as he was told, Booth rushed over and handcuffed him – not gently. He reached for his phone and called for backup.

By this time, Brennan had realised that their saviour was, in fact, Booth. She finally let out her breath when the burglar was handcuffed. She was holding Elena very tightly, trying to shield her from the situation. She couldn't believe she hadn't woken up. That creep could have killed them without any resistance.

When Booth's backup arrived and the burglar was taken away, Brennan loosened her grip on Elena. They were alone for a minute as Booth handed over the criminal outside the bedroom. Brennan and Elena both got out of bed, and Brennan lifted her daughter into her arms. Elena immediately wrapped her little arms tightly around her mother's neck. Brennan then felt that Elena was wet. She'd been so scared she'd wet herself, and Brennan's heart broke a little. "It's okay, sweetheart. Our friend is here. Booth caught the bad guy." Brennan kissed her daughter's face. "Don't worry about the bed, honey," she whispered. "It doesn't matter, okay?"

Booth walked back into the bedroom, overhearing the last part of the conversation. "If you help her, I'll change the sheets," Booth offered quietly. He smiled at her, trying to reassure her they were okay, now. "Just point me in the right direction." Brennan told him where he could find clean sheets and after mother and daughter left, Booth got to work.

In the bathroom, Brennan undressed Elena and turned on the shower. Her small body was still shaking. Brennan lifted her to put her under the spray, but Elena wouldn't let go, so Brennan undressed, too, and they showered together. "Were you scared, Elena?"

The little girl nodded her head, her eyes filled with tears.

"I wouldn't have let anything bad happen to you," Brennan promised her. "Do you believe me?" She'd give her life before anyone got the chance to even touch her daughter.

Again, Elena nodded, then came her tiny voice, "But he almost hurt you, Mommy."

Booth knew from experience that everybody would have to wind down a bit before anyone was ready to attempt sleeping again, so after he remade the bed, Booth had gone downstairs to put the soiled bedding in the washer. Then, he made his way to the kitchen where he made warm chocolate milk. By the time it was ready, both Temperance and Elena came downstairs. Elena was clinging to her mom and Temperance looked pale and stressed.

"Booth... I don't know how to thank you. You - you saved our lives." Brennan stopped in front of him and looked into his warm brown eyes.

"I'm just happy I was here at the right time." Booth focussed on their daughter. "Would you like some warm chocolate milk, honey? It's not too hot." Booth caressed her curls gently, then looked up at Temperance. "I have a cup for you too, if you'd like."

Elena looked at him. "Are you a policeman?" she whispered.

"Yes, sweetheart, I am. And that bad man is in jail now. He can't hurt you. He can't hurt your mommy. I promise."

"Do you really promise?" Elena wanted to make sure.

"I really promise." Booth held out his pinky. "I will pinky swear on it."

"I don't know what that means," Elena said.

"Look," Booth gently hooked their pinkies together and looked into her eyes. "I promise he won't hurt you or Mommy again." He leaned in and kissed her cheek, feeling sad that his little girl had no idea what a pinky swear was.

Elena looked at her pinky for a moment, to see if anything had changed. She looked back at Booth. "Will his friends hurt us?"

"No. I don't think mean people like him have a lot of friends, sweetie." All of the evidence pointed to the fact that the man worked alone. "How about that chocolate milk, huh?"

Elena nodded and Brennan sat down with her. They drank their hot chocolate, and Elena sighed. "It's really good."

"I'm glad you like it," Booth smiled at her. Booth handed the second cup to Temperance and kept the third cup for himself. "You slept through it?" Booth asked her as he kept his focus on Temperance.

She suddenly felt even more guilty. "Yeah," she whispered as she stroked Elena's long, brown curls.

"Where is Russ?"

"At the hospital, with Amy and her girls. Hayley's lungs haven't been doing well. He's very worried. And tired."

"I see," Booth took a sip from his warm beverage. "When are your finals?"

"They start tomorrow," Brennan answered with a desperate tone in her voice. "My dad hurt his ankle. He can't leave his house."

"Did you manage to study all of the material? Or are there parts of your classes that you haven't been able to look at?"

"I've read everything, but I don't know if it's enough." She felt like crying, but Elena didn't need to see her mother cry right now, so she stayed strong.

"Do you want to do it tomorrow, or would you like me to write up a report, so you can take it to school with you so you can have the final postponed?" Booth wasn't actually sure that was possible, but the least they could do was give it a try.

Brennan shook her head. "I won't be able to take the exam again until after a few months. That's too late. I'll have to try and see what comes out."

Booth nodded. "In that case, you have to go back to bed." Elena had already finished her drink and was dozing off by her side. "Take her with you. I'll take the couch."

"But Russ..." Brennan started to say.

"Isn't here," Booth told her sharply. His voice softened. "I am. And if he is anything like the man I take him to be, he wouldn't want you and Elena to be alone." He paused for a moment, then he told her the truth. "The lock was forced. That means that you cannot lock the front door. Either I stay, or we wake that little girl up again and I drive you to campus, to Angela's apartment. Your choice."

Brennan pressed her hand against her forehead. "Okay. If you want to, it would be great if you could keep us safe tonight. I'll call Russ tomorrow."

"I will keep you safe. I am as capable, if not more, than your brother is, Temperance." Booth gently lifted their daughter from the couch and carried her up the stairs.

Brennan followed them and watched as Booth gently tucked Elena in. His daughter. She really wanted him to be a father to Elena. When he stood again, she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him.

Booth was shocked. He allowed her to kiss him and when she pulled back, he cupped her cheek. "What was that?"

"I kissed you," she said.

He chuckled. "Yes, I know that. Why?" He was confused. Was this just the stress of the ordeal she'd been through or was it because it was him standing in front of her?

"Because I wanted to," she said. "I want you to stay. I want you to be Elena's father. I want you to be with me."

"Darling... are you sure this is what you want? You've had a rough night and by the looks of it, a couple of rough days."

"My skin tingles when you touch me. I feel safe with you. Elena likes you," she told him honestly.

Booth nodded. "Okay." He kissed her tenderly and guided her to the bed. They ended the kiss and he gave her a soft, concerned smile. "Come on, I'll tuck you in."

"Do you still want me?" she asked him.

"Yes, I do, but darling," Booth sat down next to her and reached for her hand. "I don't think this is the time to get into all of that. You need your sleep, you have an important day tomorrow."

Brennan lay down and took Elena in her arms. "Thanks for everything, Booth."

"You're welcome. Good night." Booth leaned down and softly kissed Elena's cheek. Next, he pressed a kiss to Temperance's forehead. He turned the lights off and went downstairs. He rinsed the mugs out and got settled on the couch. Sleep didn't come that night.

* * *

I do believe Booth and Brennan deserve a round of applause after - finally! - kissing each other. So, do you think that Russ will finally come round to accepting Booth now that he's saved his family? More on that in the next chapter ;). (Incidentally, most of you are very hard on Russ, but he's only a few years older than his sister and he didn't think twice about giving up everything to be there for his sister and his niece. He didn't have to do it, but he did, so he's earned the right to be suspicious of Booth, wouldn't you agree? Anyway, more on that Thursday!) Please leave us more of your encouraging words!


	19. Chapter 19

We're back! Let's get to the aftermath of the dangerous situation in the previous chapter. Can Russ start to redeem himself?

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**Chapter 19**

The next morning, Elena woke Brennan up. "You have to go study," she whispered, and Brennan nodded. They both got dressed and went downstairs.

"Booth stayed with us to keep us safe," Brennan told her daughter. Elena curiously walked over to the couch and tapped Booth's nose.

Booth's eyes snapped open and when he realised who was standing next to him, he smiled widely. "Good morning, princess!" Booth wrapped his arm around her and pulled her on the couch with him, landing her squarely on his chest. "How did you sleep?"

Elena pushed herself into an upright position on his chest. "Okay," she said. "Mommy needs to study. We have to eat breakfast."

"Yes," Booth agreed. "Why don't I help you make breakfast, so that Mommy can study and after we've had breakfast, we can both do the dishes?"

"But I dry," she told him.

"Yes, darling. You can dry."

Elena looked at him. Wasn't she already Uncle Russ's princess? She got off his chest and went into the kitchen to point out where everything was.

Brennan told Booth, "I'm going to call Russ and tell him about last night. If he asks, do you want to talk to him?"

"If he wants to talk to me, I will," Booth assured her. He followed his daughter into the kitchen and lifted her to sit on the table.

In her study room, Brennan picked up the phone and called Russ. Eventually, he picked up.

"Morning, Tempe." Russ was exhausted. He had spent another night at home alone with Emma while Amy stayed in the hospital with Hayley and he had just been getting ready to go back to the hospital after he'd dropped Emma off at school. "I'm sorry, but I don't have much time."

"How's Hayley doing?" Brennan asked him first.

"She's still in the hospital. Amy stayed the night, I haven't talked to or heard from her yet. Look, Tempe, was there a specific reason why you called? I really don't have much time." Seeing the little girl so sick and miserable in the hospital broke Russ' heart a little bit more each day. He couldn't stop thinking about finding ways to earn more money to get Hayley to more specialised doctors, and to find more sponsors for scientific research. He just needed Hayley to live and be happy, so Amy and Emma could be happy, too.

"Someone broke into our house last night," Brennan told her brother. "He was standing over Elena and me with a knife."

"Oh my God, Tempe! Are you okay? Is Elena okay? What happened?" Russ was angry with himself. He knew it was impossible, but he should have been in two places at the same time. His family needed him, too.

"Apparently a policeman has been monitoring our house specifically. He was there on time and he saved us. He even stayed the night to make sure we were safe, since the lock's broken." Brennan left Booth's name out on purpose, wondering how Russ would react to that.

"A police officer? Who, Temperance? And please don't tell me it's that Booth guy. I don't want him in my house."

Brennan sighed. "Russ, it was Booth and if it weren't for him, Elena and I might be dead. She was so scared she wet herself. She was only able to sleep after Booth reassured her he'd keep us safe and made her hot chocolate. Elena's heart-broken since you aren't here. She thinks you don't love her anymore. She's slowly warming up to Booth. He's her father and he wants to be there for her. Isn't that exactly what you want for her?"

"You can't trust him, Temperance. Don't get me wrong. I am grateful that he was there and that he protected you, but ... I don't know, Temperance." Russ let out a deep sigh, knowing he couldn't keep pretending to manage two families simultaneously without hurting one or both of them. "I trust you, Temp. And if you think you can trust him, that's good enough for me. Look, I really have to go, okay?"

"Maybe you should just talk to him," Brennan said, ignoring the fact her brother was in a hurry because this was about Elena.

"Why Temperance? Why would I talk to him? I told you, I'm grateful that he got it right today, but his history of not getting it right is much longer."

"Russ, it was a misunderstanding. He disappeared because his grandfather needed him. Booth took care of him for four years. Doesn't that say something good about Booth's character? He's loyal. And now that you'll be going away more and more... we need him, Russ. And I really need your approval to be with him, because you gave up your life for me and Elena and my loyalty lies with you. Please, Russ."

Whenever his sister said 'please', it was important. "Fine, put him on, but I don't know what you want me to say to him."

"Just ask him what you want to know. Thanks, Russ. I really appreciate this." Brennan put down the phone and walked into the kitchen. "He's agreed to talk to you," she told Booth, relieved.

"Okay." Booth walked into the study, closing the door behind him. "Russ? This is Booth. Thank you for agreeing to talk to me."

Russ didn't need small-talk and got to the point. "What happened?"

"A burglar broke in and entered the house. I was patrolling the streets. When I noticed that the door had been opened, I went in to investigate. I found the suspect standing over your sister and your niece with a knife in his hands. The door was unable to be locked after the break-in, so I stayed with them."

"Thank you for being there with them when they needed someone. I want to be home soon, but ..." Russ ran a hand through his hair, "Hayley's condition isn't really improving. She's stable now, so that is good, but I won't be home for at least a week."

Booth gathered his courage and spoke up. "They can't stay here for a week without you, Russ. They are both exhausted. Your sister is a the end of her rope and Elena is miserable. Let me take care of them. I don't blame you for not being here. I understand, but I am here. Let me help. I don't think Temperance should ask you for permission, but she respects you and values your opinion. She won't let me stay or even consider staying with me or going home to meet my family, unless you approve."

Russ' first instinct was to say no, but the man was right, his sister had been following his advice without ever disregarding it. "I agree with you," Russ told the other man in a softer voice. "Can you put her back on the phone, please?"

"Yeah, sure. Russ... Thank you for supporting me. That means a lot."

Russ sank down on the couch. "Yeah. No problem."

Booth walked back into the kitchen, where Temperance and Elena were fixing breakfast. "He wants to have another word with you."

Brennan rose and wished everything had gone okay. "Russ?" she said as she picked up the phone.

"Temperance, I talked to him. I think you shouldn't stay alone at the house. At least not until I get back. It would make me feel better if he could stay with you. Also, he hinted at visiting his family? I think that might not be a bad idea. Just make sure you take your own car and that he takes his so that you can go home if you don't want to stay there or if he tries to trick you or something. I'm not saying he will, but just... be careful, okay?"

"I'm always careful, Russ. Since I've had Elena, I mean. Thanks so much for talking to him. I promise I won't do anything that you wouldn't want us to. But I do trust him. Can you please give my best to Amy and the girls? I wish I could help, but I have my finals this week."

"I will. Good luck, Temperance. I'm sorry, but I really have to go now."

"I understand. We love you, Russ."

"Temperance, wait a minute." Booth had told him that Elena was miserable and Russ knew he was at fault where his niece was concerned. "Before I go, can I talk to Elena? Just a minute or two. Please make sure she knows I don't have much time."

Brennan's lips curved into a smile. Finally. "Okay, I'll get her." Brennan put down the phone and hurried into the kitchen. "Guess what, Uncle Russ wants to talk to you," she smiled and picked up Elena. She carried her daughter into the study and sat her down on her lap, then handed her the phone. "He only has a few minutes," Brennan told her little girl. Elena took the phone. "Uncle Russ?"

"Hey princess. Are you okay, Elena?"

"Mm, yes, okay. And you?"

"I miss you. I'm sorry I've been so busy, Elena. Hayley is still in the hospital, so I won't be home this week. Do you like Mommy's friend?"

"I miss you, too, Uncle Russ. Mommy's friend is very nice, he's a policeman and he caught the bad man that was in our house. He also makes hot chocolate."

"That's good, princess. Amy and Emma and Hayley told me to say hi. They miss you, too. I'll be home as soon as I can, princess."

"Uncle Russ? Do you still love me a lot?" Elena asked quietly. "Or maybe a little bit less?"

"Oh princess... I love you just as much as ever. You know what, we will make a deal, you and me. Okay? I will call you every night before bed. Is that okay?"

Elena nodded. "Okay. And then you give me goodnight kisses through the phone."

"Yes. I love you to the moon and back, little one," Russ told her seriously. "Do you still love me, princess? Or maybe a little less?"

"No, I love you a lot," Elena said, "Even when I'm sad."

"I don't want you to be sad, honey. I'm sorry I made you sad. I will call every night, okay?"

"Okay. You have to tell Hayley and Emma I give them kisses so they won't get sick."

"I will. Will you give Mommy a big kiss for me?"

"Okay." Elena turned her head and kissed her mother. "I did it. Bye, bye."

"Bye bye, princess." Russ heard the dialtone and sighed. Wow, that was intense. But they were right. He couldn't be in two places at once and maybe – maybe – they could give this Booth guy a chance after all.

After she ended the conversation, Brennan gave her daughter a big kiss. "Well done, sweetheart. Do you feel better now?"

Elena nodded.

"Good. Let's go back to Booth. Mommy needs to make exams today, so Angela will come to play with you. You could make a painting together."

That prospect brought a smile to Elena's face. "Yes, I'm going to express myself, just like Angela taught me!"

Brennan chuckled. "You go and express yourself, sweetheart. I'm sure you're very good at it."

Elena nodded her head. "Very," she assured her mother.

After the phone call, they all finished breakfast and Booth gave Brennan and Elena a ride to Angela's. Angela was the only other important female in Elena's life, and the little girl loved her exuberant aunt. Angela would no doubt be able to distract the little girl from the events of that night, and give her some room to vent. Brennan and Booth went back home together, where Booth made sure Brennan took an hour to get focussed on her exam for that day. Meanwhile, Booth fixed the lock in the front door. They had an early lunch together and then Booth offered to walk Brennan to the exam hall.

"I'd love that," she smiled nervously at him. "I just want to pass this exam. I've passed everything else, I don't want to start failing now that it's most important not to."

"I have never seen anyone study with so much focus and dedication as I have seen you do the last hour. I'm sure that you'll pass your exam. How long do you think the exam will take?"

"About three hours," she replied. "I'm really nervous."

"Do you know the what if game?" Booth proposed.

"No, I don't. What is it? Is it applicable to this situation?"

"Yes. It is. Okay, What is the worst that can happen?"

"I fail." They put on their coats and stepped outside, locking the door behind them.

"Okay," Booth linked arms with her. "What if you fail?"

They started walking towards her university together. "Then I have to take the exam again. It's right after I plan to graduate."

"Okay, so you would have more time to study if you have to take it again. What if you would have to take the exam again?"

"Then I can't graduate early and I can't start a job that will help me support Elena." He had a calming effect on her; her brain was starting to slow down.

"Okay, what would happen if you can't graduate early and if you can't immediately find a job to provide for our daughter?" Booth stopped her and turned a bit, so he was looking directly into her eyes.

She finally saw his point. "I'd have to ask you to help us," Brennan said.

"No. You wouldn't have to ask me, I would help anyway." He continued to look at her, giving her some time to come to the right conclusion.

"So... maybe I shouldn't worry so much," she said carefully. "Because we've got you now." She smiled at him and took his hand.

"Exactly. So, the worst case scenario isn't so bad after all, huh?" he smiled at her.

She stood on her toes and kissed him. "I'm happy you're here."

"Me, too. Will you call me when you're done? I'll come pick you up." They arrived at the exam hall.

Brennan heaved a sigh of relief. Suddenly she noticed what a beautiful day it was. A blue sky with a cloud here and there. Not too cold. "Thanks so much, Booth." She embraced him. "I'm going to do my best and we'll see what comes out of it."

"Exactly." He kissed her cheek. "I really hope you'll call me when you're done. I'd love to spend the afternoon with you."

"I will. I promise." He'd managed to centre her in mere minutes. He gave her confidence. "I have to go inside." She took a deep breath.

Booth pulled her in his embrace and whispered in her ear, "No matter what happens, Elena and I are proud of you."

She closed her eyes and let his words sink in for a moment. "Okay. I'm ready." She pressed a kiss to his lips. "You'll be here when I'm done," she smiled. Her feelings for him were quickly gaining strength, and it felt wonderful.

"Yes," he kissed her cheek, not wanting to overwhelm her, "I will be. Good luck. I have faith in you."

They let go of each other and Brennan waved at him before disappearing through the doors. She was smart. She'd read everything, it would be a matter of digging in her memory to find the answers.

Booth watched her get inside. Her posture was better. She held her head high and her shoulders were relaxed. He watched her until she was safely inside. Booth sent up a quick prayer, asking The Man Upstairs to help her keep her cool and then, he left for the office. He had a punk to interrogate.

* * *

Have your feelings towards Russ changed yet? We hope so! Next chapter: family time!


	20. Chapter 20

Welcome back everyone and thanks again for your amazing reviews! They really mean a lot to us, so keep them coming if you can ;). Here's some Angela thrown into the mix...

* * *

**Chapter 20**

Brennan felt so relieved as she exited the building three hours later. She breathed in the fresh air and immediately grabbed her cell phone to call Booth.

"Booth," he answered as he continued to finish the paperwork. Lars Bergman had admitted to all of the burglaries and he had even told them where they would find the stolen items. Booth had had a good morning.

"It's me, Temperance. I'm done. I had to use every minute of the time allowed, but I think I should pass this one," she told him happily.

"Well done, Captain!" Booth grinned widely. "I'm going to come over and pick you up. I took the rest of the day off. We can pick up Elena and go do something nice together."

"Great! I'll have to study for the next one after dinner, but until then, I don't think I can even focus anymore. I'll wait here for you."

"I'll be right there." Booth ended the connection, grabbed his stuff and left the office. He walked outside, trying to think of something that would be able to relax all three of them. It couldn't be something too active, both of his girls needed to rest and he could use some rest as well after that sleepless night. Still pondering his options, Booth got into his car.

Brennan almost ran up to him as she spotted him; she felt so happy to see him. He'd made everything all right.

This was a huge difference compared to this morning. Spontaneously, Booth wrapped his arms around her and lifted her in the air, spinning her around. With great care, he set her back down on her feet. "Congratulations, darling."

"I have to wait for my grade, but I can't imagine having failed this one. Three more to go," she smiled.

"And we'll make sure that you are better rested for the next one. I was thinking, do you have any boardgames at your place? We can have an afternoon of fun with those and we can all do that together."

"I think Russ brought a few that we used to play as kids. Maybe Elena would like Scrabble; she reads pretty well. Oh, I didn't mention this to you, but Elena told Russ on the phone that she liked you, that you're a policeman and that you make hot chocolate. So, well done," she smiled at him.

"Thanks, but I think a trip to the toy store is in order then, 'cause even though our brilliant daughter may enjoy Scrabble, I don't. We'll go pick her up and then she can help us choose."

"Are you sure? She'll just say she wants everything, probably," Brennan chuckled. "She's only been to a toy store once in her life, and then I realised it was cruel because I couldn't afford to buy her anything."

"Well," Booth wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "You are not alone anymore." They started walking towards Angela's apartment. Suddenly he realised something and he stopped walking. "Hey, I just realised. What's her birthday?" There were so many things he still didn't know about his own daughter, but it was okay, because they were accepting him into their life. He would learn.

"July 7," Brennan answered him. It had to be more than mind-boggling to find out you have a daughter after four years and then not know anything about her. But, he'd learn and she'd help him. There was plenty of time to make up for lost time.

So, Booth still had time to think about the perfect gift for his princess. "There is something I want to talk about while we're still alone. Can I stay over tonight? I know that the burglar is behind bars and that you can take care of yourself and our daughter but... you don't have to."

"I think Russ basically said he was fine with whatever, and I'd like you to stay. I'm sure it will make Elena feel safe, as well."

"Thank you. I would love to stay over." They walked up to the door of Angela's building and Booth held open the door for her. They walked inside and went up to the third floor, to Angela's apartment.

"Mommy!" Elena exclaimed when the door opened. She jumped into her mother's arms and kissed her cheek. Brennan cuddled her daughter and kissed her hair. "Did you have fun with Aunt Angela?"

Elena wriggled out of Brennan's arms and took her hand and then Booth's. "Look, look! I painted my present." They were halted in front of a canvas portraying Zorro, a female pirate and a princess.

"Whoaw!" Booth sank down to his knees, so he could take a closer look. "This is very good, princess!" Booth kissed her cheek and smiled. "I'm very proud of you. Actually I'm so proud, that I think it deserves a little reward, what do you think, mom?"

Brennan and Angela kissed each other's cheeks, then Brennan heard Booth's words. She squatted down next to Elena. "She's been a very big, brave girl, so I agree."

"Would you like to go to the toy store with Mommy and me, where you get to pick two new boardgames?" Booth proposed.

"Two?" Elena repeated, not believing him. "I can pick two?" She showed him two fingers to make sure.

"One," Booth kissed one of her fingers, "two," he kissed the other. "Yes, two." He smiled widely. "Is that okay, princess?"

Elena giggled and wiped her fingers on her dress. "It's not my birthday. That's July 7."

"You're right, it's not your birthday yet. And still we are going to the toy store, because you were so brave yesterday." Booth became serious. "And because you're such a big girl, always helping Mommy and Uncle Russ with the dishes."

Elena smiled at him. "I like you," she said and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I like you too, little one." Booth wrapped his arms around her and lifted her as he stood. "Very, very much. Why don't you say goodbye to Angela?" He kissed the little girl's cheek and put her back down, so she could say goodbye and get ready.

Elena ran over to Angela. "I love you, Aunt Angela. We had sooooo much fun," she said, describing a big circle with her arms.

Angela giggled. "We did, didn't we, sweetie? Have fun at the toy store." She hugged the little girl, then looked at Booth. "Will you help her get ready?" When he nodded, she grabbed Brennan's hand and pulled her into the bedroom. "Mommy will be right back, sweetheart."

Brennan couldn't do anything but follow Angela. She was a tiny woman, but nobody messed with her.

"That," Angela whispered, "is a keeper! Oh, I'm so happy for you. How are things going between the two of you?"

Brennan felt relieved Angela approved of Booth. "I'm... quite certain I have feelings for him. Still have feelings for him. He calms me down, takes some pressure off."

"That's good. Has he asked you out on a date?" Angela wanted to know.

"He has. He's so sweet to Elena. And patient. I can see that he wants to be a father for Elena, but she doesn't know, so he keeps her best interest in mind and takes things slowly."

"I think that's good." Angela noticed that her best friend looked tired, but she didn't comment. Instead, she embraced Brennan and then stepped back. "Come on, let's not keep them waiting."

They joined Booth and Elena, both ready to go, Elena's little hand in Booth's. There was no question about whether they were family. "Thanks for entertaining her today, Ange," Brennan said and hugged her best friend.

"Anytime! You know that I love having my god-daughter over. Have fun. All three of you."

Booth's smile grew a bit as Angela included him. Temperance had made a good choice, picking Angela to be Elena's godmother.

Within half an hour, they were in the toy store. Elena was walking around with eyes big and her mouth half-open, gaping at all the shiny new toys.

Booth chuckled and linked arms with Temperance. "It's as if Christmas, New Year and her birthday all happened on the same day this year."

Brennan smiled. They were just following Elena around, making sure she didn't get lost but got to see everything she wanted to see. She could try out different toys throughout the store and they stayed for hours until they finally returned to the board games section.

"It's time to pick, princess. Otherwise, we won't have time to play with any of the games anymore," Booth told her gently.

"I want everything," Elena whispered with a large wave of her arms. She'd never been more impressed.

Brennan laughed and looked at Booth. "I told you so."

Booth winked at her. "Let's play a game. Let's say we buy everything. The whole store. Every toy." Booth looked around and pointed at a boy her age, "Wouldn't that make him very sad?" He pointed to a little girl that was a bit older than Elena was, "What would she have to play with?"

"But I can't pick anything!" Elena told him. "I like everything!"

"If you can't pick anything, we have to go home. So Mommy and me will help you. You can pick five games. Then Mommy can put one game back. I will also put one game back. And then you can put one game back and we're left with the winners. How about that?"

"I think that's fun," Elena agreed.

So, that's how they did it. Elena picked five and Booth noticed that Brennan instantly got rid of the most expensive one. Then, he decided, based on the difficulty of the game and eventually, Elena closed her eyes and picked one game that they put back as well. "Well done, princess!"

They took a satisfied, happy and tired Elena home. Brennan felt good despite her fatigue; doing fun, happy things with her family gave her energy.

Booth drove them back home and they gathered around the kitchen table, enjoying the new games together.

They had hot chocolate and fruit chopped into pieces to snack on. It was a fun day, and Brennan felt like a family with them. They had pancakes for dinner, which Booth and Elena made while Brennan took another hour to study.

After they'd done the dishes, both of Booth's girls had disappeared into the study. Brennan was sitting at her desk, surrounded by her books as Elena read in her own books. Booth frowned. So that explained why his little one could read. "Uhm, Captain, what's her bedtime exactly?"

"It's not very strict, between seven and eight PM," Brennan replied.

Booth was taken aback by that. Children should have a strict bedtime routine. He knew it was too early to start discussing routines and rituals, though. It was already 7:15PM and he knew that neither of them had slept well. "What do you usually do before bed?" When Temperance looked up at him, he shrugged his shoulders. "I want to help."

"Well, we change into her nightgown, wash her hands, feet and face if we've been to the playground. Brush her teeth, have a few sips of water. And then read in bed. I leave the light on in the hall so it's not completely dark," Brennan described to him in detail.

So there was a routine in place – talking about jumping to conclusions. "Why don't we get started on that, princess?"

Elena looked at her mom, then back to Booth. "But Uncle Russ said he would call."

"You can put your nightgown on and brush your teeth. Uncle Russ will call, sweetheart," Brennan told her daughter.

Booth watched Elena leave, knowing he would be crossing a huge line if he would help her change into her nightgown at this point in their relationship. "I think she should have a set time to go to bed, don't you think?" Booth proposed.

"It's probably better to have a stricter daily routine. When I have finals, she doesn't have school. I'm home-schooling her. This is why I wanted to graduate early and get a job. At least I'll know my working hours."

"Why isn't she going to school?" Booth asked her, extremely confused as to why Temperance would deny their daughter that experience.

"I've been home-schooling her since she was two years old. It's been easier for me this way," she admitted.

"What about Elena? She's missing out on valuable experiences in kindergarten. Playing with other kids, making friends. Even fighting about who has the nicest backpack, who can jump the highest and who can draw the most beautiful butterflies." Booth paused for a moment. "I think you are a wonderful, loving, dedicated mother, but I don't agree with her not going to kindergarten. Is money the problem?"

"Of course it's a problem. It's always a problem," Brennan sighed.

"I want her to start school in September, Temperance. And maybe I don't have the right yet, to be adamant about anything concerning her upbringing, but our little girl deserves the best chances in life. And we both know that's not here at home. Not when it comes to school."

Brennan felt a little offended at that. "If she'd been in regular school, she wouldn't be able to read. I teach her things she wants to know, that interest her. She's smart. I was like that when I was younger, I was bullied in school for being smart. I don't want that for Elena. School was boring."

"We can enrich her at home, but she's missing out on too much if she doesn't go to school. There are other things there, Temperance, that you can't teach her here."

Brennan rubbed her forehead. "Elena could use more social contact with her peers. Maybe she should try out a sports club first. She copies the gymnastics girls at the playground."

"She can get bullied in a sports club just as easily as she could get bullied at school," Booth pointed out calmly.

"Yeah, but she won't spend as much time doing sports as doing school. I don't know, Booth. She's vulnerable."

"Is she vulnerable? Or are you?" A heavy silence settled in the room and when the phone rang, Booth got up to help Elena answer it. He knew she'd love to talk to her uncle.

Elena crawled onto Brennan's lap and answered the phone. She talked happily with her uncle, telling him about her fun day. Brennan had her arms wrapped around her daughter and breathed in her scent. She didn't want them to be separated. She didn't want to leave her daughter alone in some school.

Booth sensed that he had overstepped boundaries and respectfully let them have a private moment together.

When Elena hung up, Brennan asked her, "Do you know what school is?" When Elena shrugged, Brennan explained it to her as objectively as she could. "Would you like to go to school, Elena?"

"I'll think about it," Elena said. "I like when you teach me, Mommy," she said as she pushed her mother's hair out of her face.

"Yes, but you could play with other children there."

"I can play with you, too," Elena said softly.

"Just think about it, honey," Brennan said to her daughter. "You don't have to go if you don't want to, but you can try it."

"Right now I want to stay with you," Elena said, and Brennan nodded. "Of course you can stay with me. Did Uncle Russ kiss you goodnight?"

"Yes. Now I have to go to bed. Can Booth also help?"

"Let's get him."

Booth had been sitting on the couch, doubting himself. He knew this was no time to push her, about anything, but this had simply seemed too important to let go. When the door opened, he turned to face it and smiled. "Was that Uncle Russ, sweetie?"

"Yes," Elena said, "Do you want to come? Mommy's reading Moby Dick."

"Sure." Booth agreed and followed the little girl. He was surprised when she led him to the master bedroom, instead of her own bedroom. Elena snuggled up to her mother and Booth sat down on the end of the bed. It was clear which one of his girls was more vulnerable and he realised he had to be a bit more gentle in his approach. After all, whose fault was it that she'd become so vulnerable? He'd played a huge part in that and he shouldn't forget it.

Brennan patted the spot next to them. "Over here, or you won't be able to see the pictures."

Elena stuck out her arm. "Here, you can have a Moby as well."

Booth sat down next to them, Elena sitting in between them and he accepted one of the Mobies. "Thank you, sweetie." Temperance read a chapter and Elena started to doze off. By the time his Captain was done, the little girl was asleep.

"I hope she sleeps through the night, with what happened yesterday," Brennan whispered.

"We will be here for her if she doesn't. Are you going to study some more?"

"I probably should, but I really don't want to," Brennan sighed with a guilty smile.

"When is your next exam?"

"Tomorrow at noon."

"You know what my Pops used to say?" She shook her head and he continued. "When I was getting too tired to study, he encouraged me to go to bed early and get up early the next morning, to study. And you know what? It always worked. In the morning, I would be rested and things would go a lot easier."

"I should take his advice," Brennan said. "It's been a long day. I asked Elena if she wants to go to school. She said she'll think about it."

"That's good. I'm sorry if I overstepped boundaries, but I care about her. I care about you, too. Is she going to sleep here? With you?"

"She usually does if Russ is not here, or if she's not feeling well. Is it wrong?"

"It's not wrong that she knows she's welcome and safe with you. But I don't think it's good if she's here for you, instead of for her."

"Is she?" She looked at him.

"I think you've both got used to it, but I'm here. Russ isn't, but I am. Isn't that the same situation as when Russ is here?"

"Yeah, I guess. But after what happened last night, I'd rather have her close."

"You know what? I agree. And I also think you would benefit from just changing into your nightwear and spending some alone-time with her." Booth got up. "I'll be on the couch if you need me." If he had to be honest, he was exhausted and he was ready to get some sleep. The couch wasn't very comfortable, but it was close to them and that was all that mattered.

"Booth? You can take Russ's bed. I'll make sure to change it before he comes back. He's not here," she said with a soft smiled

"Thanks. I think I'm going to bed, too."

Brennan carefully got out from under Elena and sat upright. "Thanks for today." She gently pressed her lips to his. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, darling."

* * *

So, Booth's winning points but also starting to get involved in Elena's upbringing. Is it too soon? Should he press on or back off and focus on gaining Brennan's trust? Let us know what you think and we promise you a wonderful chapter for next time :). (It deals with something several of you have been asking for...)


	21. Chapter 21

Thanks again so much for your reviews! Prepare for a chapter filled with cuteness...

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**Chapter 21**

The last week had been a hard one. Temperance had had all of her finals and Elena had slept in her mother's bed every night. Booth hadn't mentioned it again, seeing how Elena clung to her mother and how much it calmed Temperance down as well. That was all over, though. Temperance had passed every test and so she would be graduating early. Booth had been talking to his grandfather, who kept asking for pictures. So, last night, Booth spoke to his brother and had asked him if he had place enough for three house guests. Jared had told him that he had more than enough room and that they were very welcome. Booth entered the bedroom quietly and sat down on the end of the bed. "Good morning," he sing-songed.

Brennan and Elena slowly opened their eyes. Elena was more of an early riser than Brennan was, and she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, then kissed her mother's cheek. "Wake up, Mommy. It's morning."

Brennan grabbed her little girl and kissed her neck, making Elena giggle. "Hey," Brennan said, groggily. Her finals had gone well, but it was only after she'd heard that news that she really started to feel the exhaustion she'd built up.

"Good morning," Booth smiled at them. "I have a surprise for all of us, if it's okay with Mommy. I called my brother last night. I asked if we could come over for a week. It's close to the ocean and we can play on the beach. My grandfather would love to meet you ladies. So, what do you say, Captain?"

Elena looked at her mother. "Can we go, Mommy? I want to meet Pops. He's a grampa."

Brennan chuckled. "I've been telling you for years, Elena, it's 'grandpa', not 'grampa'. But yes, we'll go."

Elena put her hands in the air. "Yay!"

Booth wrapped his arms around his little girl and twirled her around the room as he chuckled. "Come on then! We have a lot to do. We have to pack and it's a four-hour drive!"

"Packing!" Elena exclaimed enthusiastically. "We never go away. I'm excited."

"There has to be a first time for everything. Pops is very happy to finally meet you, princess."

Brennan managed to drag herself out of bed. "I'm so tired," she yawned and leaned into Booth, making Elena chuckle. "You just slept, Mommy."

"Mommy had a busy week. Why don't you help me pack and then Mommy can stay in bed a little while longer?" Booth suggested.

"It's okay, I can sleep in the car," Brennan said. "A shower will wake me up."

"Okay." Booth and Elena left. He brought his little girl to her room, where he told her to get dressed and pick out eight shirts, shorts, pairs of socks and underwear. Then, Booth went into the kitchen, to pack some food.

Brennan showered quickly. A weight had fallen off her shoulders since Booth had arrived. Booth was there when Russ wasn't, and Russ, like predicted, was spending a lot of time with his girls. As long as he called each night, Elena seemed to be doing fine. Brennan had passed her finals, but didn't finish top of her class. It was a small sacrifice to make. At least she had her degree. Elena trusted Booth, which was also a good thing. She remained her mother's baby, but it was good to have another person she trusted. Brennan got dressed in comfortable but neat clothes and grabbed additional outfits and toiletries which she put in her suitcase. Then, she walked into the living room.

By the time she joined them, Booth had put Elena's clothes into the smaller suitcase he had found in Temperance's bedroom. "Ready to go? We are going to have to go by my place and get a few more clothes for me."

"I'm ready," Brennan said. "And sure, we can drive by your place," she smiled.

Booth smiled, too. "I'll go get the suitcases. You two can get into the car already."

Brennan hesitated. Russ had told her to take her own car if they ever went any place. But she was so tired, she didn't think she should be driving. Besides, the mere idea of going in separate cars was a bit ridiculous. "Hold on. I need to make a phone call." She quickly went into her study and called Russ. He was on a weekend away with Amy and her girls, since Hayley had taken a turn for the better.

"Russ," Russ answered the phone. Hayley was sitting on his lap, her head resting on his shoulder as Amy had taken Emma to go and get breakfast for all of them.

"Hey, it's me," Brennan smiled. "Is everything all right over there?"

"Yeah, things are much, much better. How are you doing?" Russ was gently combing through Hayley's long hair, enjoying their one-on-one time.

"I'm tired, but you know I passed my finals, so that's a weight off my shoulders. I wanted to tell you that we've been invited to spend a week at the beach. Booth's brother and grandfather live in a big house there. Elena and I would really like to go. Would you be okay with that? I know you said I should drive myself but I'm really tired. I'm afraid I'll get into an accident."

"Do you trust him?" Russ had had several talks with Amy about this and he realised he had been too protective of his sister. It was time to look to the future and to let the past be the past. "You know, he's a cop, right? If you trust him, just let him drive you. And if you want to come home, for whatever reason, just take a cab home. I'll pay for it."

"I do trust him. Elena does, too. We'll stay in touch with you guys," Brennan promised.

"Please do, you know I'll worry about you guys if I don't hear from you. Plus, I promised I'd call Elena every night. Temp? Have fun, you've earned it."

"I will. I'd like to meet his family. Thanks, Russ. Give everyone a kiss from Elena and me."

"Will do. Give that little girl of yours a kiss from me, too. Bye, Tempe."

When Brennan returned from the study, Elena and Booth were waiting by the front door. "Everything okay?" Booth asked her.

"Yes, everything's fine. We can go, now," Brennan smiled, relieved that Russ was finally starting to accept Booth's presence.

Booth helped Elena into the car and made sure she was buckled in correctly, reassuring himself that his daughter was safe. He got in behind the wheel and Temperance took her place next to him. Booth drove them over to his apartment and quickly went inside to gather some fresh, clean clothes. As soon as he was done, he got settled in the car again. Elena had the three figurines with her and was playing quietly as her mother fell asleep next to Booth. Their drive was quiet and relaxing. Booth felt at ease, happy, and finally he felt he had found the people he belonged with. Temperance slept for the solid four hours and after about an hour or two, his little girl had fallen asleep as well. He felt honoured. This had to be a sign that they trusted him. After all, if you didn't trust someone, you wouldn't let your guard down so completely.

Brennan sensed that the car had stopped moving and slowly woke up. "Are we there already?" she asked, still sleepy.

"Yes, sleepyhead," Booth teased her. "We drove for four hours. Are you sure you got some decent sleep last night?" Booth asked, starting to get a little concerned.

"Yes, I'm sure I did," she replied, stretched and glanced into the backseat. "Oh, dear, you've had a boring ride by the looks of it. Elena, sweetheart, wake up. We're here. We're going to meet Grampa Pops."

Elena blinked her eyes a few times against the bright light and looked out the windows on either side. "Where's Grampa?" she asked sleepily.

"He's inside, princess. We are still in the car. I'll come and help you out." Booth got out of the car and unbuckled her seatbelt. "There is something you have to know about Grampa, okay?" he told her seriously as he took her hands in his.

Elena looked at him and cocked her head to one side, still a bit sleepy. "What?"

"Grampa is very old. He's a lot older than your grandfather, so we have to be careful, okay? Do you understand, princess?"

"I won't be wild," she promised.

Booth kissed her forehead and smiled. "Thank you, princess. Now," he smiled at her. "Let's go meet Grampa!" Booth settled her on his hip and closed the car door. He walked around the car and wrapped his free arm around Temperance's waist. Before Booth even had a chance to knock on the front door, it opened, revealing his brother. "Hey Jared! Jared, I'd like you to meet Temperance and her daughter, Elena. Elena, this is my brother, Jared. Temperance, Jared," Booth did the introductions.

Brennan shook Jared's hand. "Temperance. It's very nice to meet you," she smiled, excited to finally meet the rest of what was essentially Elena's family. Hers, too, of course.

"The pleasure is all mine. Please come on in." Jared looked at his brother. "Car still unlocked?"

Booth nodded. "Would you mind?"

Jared shook his head. "Not at all. I'll go get your luggage. You should go to the living room. Pops is about ready to burst."

Booth led them forward through the hall, and into a spacious, modern living room. Elena spotted Hank first. "Grampa!" she exclaimed enthusiastically as she put her hands in the air.

"Oh, god, what a beautiful little princess did my grandson bring to me," Pops said, tears in his eyes as he met his great-granddaughter for the first time. He slowly walked towards Booth and placed a hand on his shoulder as he smiled at Elena. "I'm Hank, or Pops, but you can call me what you like," he told Elena as he stroked her cheek.

Elena chuckled. "You're Grampa Pops of course."

"Yes, Pops," Booth smiled at his Pops, tears in his eyes as well. "You're Grampa Pops of course." Booth released Brennan and wrapped an arm around his grandfather. "It feels good to be home, Pops. And this, is Temperance Brennan."

"Ah, this is your Captain. Sweetheart, you're stunning. My grandson's been dreaming about you for four years. And between us; had I known what you were going through then, I would have sent him straight back to you. I'm sorry, dear. But I promise; we're your family, now, and you can always rely on us." Hank kissed Brennan's cheek and squeezed her hand.

Brennan was endeared by the old man in front of her. His character was obviously stronger than his physique. She felt welcome immediately. "Thank you," she said politely. "What should I call you?"

"Whatever you want. Call me Tomato. I'll be there when you call me."

Brennan folded her hands over Pops' small and slightly tremulous one. "I'll just go with Hank, then."

They heard Elena chuckle as she said to Booth, "I'll call you fries, because you always eat them."

"How about you stick with Booth, huh, princess?" Booth kissed her cheek. "Or I might just start calling you my little monster."

"Manners, Shrimp," Hank reprimanded his grandson.

Booth sighed as he heard the old nickname. "Sure, Pops, give them ammunition, why don't you?"

"Shrimp?" Brennan's eyebrows rose in amusement. "That's a perfect name for you. Well found," she laughed, and Elena laughed, too.

Then Elena asked Hank, "Does your shrimp make you hot chocolate? He's really good at it."

"Yes, he's the best, isn't he?" Pops grinned as he reached for the little girl. "As a matter of fact, Shrimp, I suggest you make us some of that famous hot chocolate right now. After all, it's been a long drive and these ladies seem tired."

"Is it okay if you stay with Grampa Pops for a little while?" Booth asked his daughter as he handed her over to his grandfather.

Elena nodded and accepted being held by the old man that was now her second grandfather.

Brennan went to sit down with them and hoped Booth had made it clear that Elena didn't know he was her father. At the same time she thought that, she realised that it was time to tell Elena. Soon. "Thank you for inviting us," Brennan told Hank, "We don't go out on many trips. This is very nice."

"Actually, it was Seeley who asked if you could come over for a visit and since I wanted to meet this young lady and yourself, it was hardly a difficult decision. How was your trip, dear?"

"I'm afraid we weren't a lot of fun. We both slept the entire way. Or at least, I did, and Elena was asleep as well when we arrived." Brennan could smell the salty air from the ocean. This truly felt like a holiday.

"Did my grandson keep you up last night?" Hank asked her with a twinkle in his eyes.

From the kitchen, they could hear Booth's response. "Manners, Grampa Pops!"

Brennan smiled at Booth's defensive words. "No, he didn't. I guess I just need a lot of sleep. I'm twenty-four, so I must be getting old."

"Oh, my dear. You're young! You should enjoy it." Hank became a bit more serious, "You also have a lot of responsibilities that most people your age don't have. I am old, Temperance, I would be delighted to help you lighten the load while you're here. Because I think that Elena and I are going to get along just fine. Aren't we sweetheart?"

Elena was sitting between them, kicking her legs up and down. "M-hm," she agreed. "I'll make you sand pies, Grampa Pops."

"Oooh, those sound delicious. I've made quite a few sand pies in my day, but... have you ever made a sand castle? Shrimp's brother, Jared, is excellent at those. If you ask nicely, he might show you."

Elena's eyes sparkled and she clasped her hands together. "Yes," she said, imagining wonderful castles and palaces made of sand. "What more can we play here?"

"Well, let's see. Have you ever played with a frisbee? We can fly a kite, that is so much fun. We can make one together. Would you like that?"

"Yes, I want to do everything," Elena said as she made her famous all-encompassing arm gesture.

"We will." Pops leaned down and kissed her cheek. Then he looked at Temperance. "You my dear, have a delightful daughter. I'm so happy to finally meet her. Thank you."

Brennan had a lump in her throat, so she just nodded and smiled at the old man. He put his hand on hers and she was grateful for it. All this time, she'd thought she'd be alone, while in fact, she had this wonderful family she just didn't know existed.

Booth returned with a tray with five mugs of hot chocolate and put them on the coffee table. Soon, Jared joined them, putting the suitcases in the hallway.

When everybody had their cup in their hands, Hank cleared his throat. "I'd like to make a toast." He held out his cup, and everybody else followed suit. "To family."

Booth and Jared smiled and chimed in. "To family."

"To family," Brennan joined them, and Elena watched the adults but didn't raise her glass, because she knew she'd spoil some of her hot chocolate if she did.

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How did you like it? Finally, Elena's surrounded by her real family... but she doesn't know it. Is it time that she learns who her father is? How would you tell her? Stay tuned, everyone, stay tuned...


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